Everything You Need to Know About ‘Mr. Harrigan’s Phone’ - Netflix Tudum

  • Deep Dive

    Everything You Need to Know About ‘Mr. Harrigan’s Phone’

    This Stephen King adaptation is ripe with mystery and thrills from beyond the grave.
    By Ryan Villarreal
    Oct. 5, 2022

When a teen finds he may be in contact with the vengeful spirit of an eccentric billionaire, he realizes that some recent deaths may not be so random. Receiving messages from beyond the grave, he begins to wonder if his dark thoughts are being made deathly real.

Based on a story by Stephen King, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is a supernatural drama starring Jaeden Martell (ItKnives Out) and Donald Sutherland (The Hunger GamesThe Italian Job). The film is written and directed by John Lee Hancock (The HighwaymenThe Alamo) and produced by three-time Oscar nominee and two-time Emmy winner Jason Blum (Get OutWhiplash) and six-time Emmy winner Ryan Murphy (American Horror StoryThe Watcher).

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Jaeden Martell as Craig (center right) starts high school in Gates Falls.

 

Release date

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone will be available on Netflix Oct. 5.

Trailer

Watch the official Netflix trailer for Mr. Harrigan’s Phone.

Cast

In addition to Martell and Sutherland, the cast of Mr. Harrigan’s Phone features Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Good PlaceThe Sandman), Joe Tippett (RiseMare of Easttown) and Cyrus Arnold (Zoolander 28-Bit Christmas). Read the cast guide for more info.

Craig receives mysterious messages from beyond the grave.

 

Plot

In the mid-2000s, Craig (Martell) is a teenager living in the small town of Harlow, Maine. He’s been reading classic novels to a reclusive billionaire with poor eyesight, Mr. Harrigan (Sutherland), for the past five years. Craig’s mother died when he was young, so Craig lives with his caring but downcast father (Tippett). As Craig starts high school in a larger nearby town, Gates Falls, he faces a bully named Kenny (Arnold) and wants to fit in with the popular kids who all own the first iPhones. Meanwhile, he continues to visit Harrigan, who pays him $5 an hour and gives him lottery scratchers as a “bonus.”

Craig’s dad eventually gets him an iPhone, and he scores $3,000 from one of Harrrigan’s scratchers. He uses some of his winnings to buy Harrigan an iPhone and teaches him how to use it. At school, Craig begins sitting with the popular kids and flirting with his crush, Regina. He also develops a close relationship with his biology teacher, Ms. Hart (Howell-Baptiste), who wants to help him deal with Kenny despite his hesitance.

Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Ms. Hart (center) treats Craig’s wounds after he’s been beaten up.

🤐 SPOILER ALERT 🤐

One day, Harrigan dies after a period of declining health, and Craig places the phone he gave him in his coffin at the funeral. Craig continues to leave messages on Harrigan’s phone to get things off his chest but soon realizes that the things he’s been talking about seem connected to disturbing events in reality. Convinced that Harrigan’s spirit is behind it all, he seeks to uncover the late billionaire’s secrets and put his soul to rest.

Setting

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone takes place in the fictional towns of Harlow and Gates Falls, Maine, with additional scenes in Boston.

Want more?

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is adapted from Stephen King’s novella of the same title, which is part of the collection If It Bleeds.

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