This review is a detailed explanation of the ending of Mr. Harrigan’s Phone and may contain spoilers.
READ: Our spoiler-free review of Mr. Harrigan’s Phone.
The Netflix film begins with Craig (played by Jaeden Martell) running through a forest, distressed until he reaches the end of a cliff and looks as if he is contemplating jumping. All this while we have cuts to a hand slowly touching an iPhone.
Cut to a montage of a town with a narrator telling us about themselves. We learn that Craig has recently lost his mother, and we hear how he first met Mr. Harrigan, and how he ended up working for him; reading to him as his eyesight is failing.
As the film progresses we see their working relationship turn into a friendship through their growing love of literature as Craig reads to him three times a week, for over five years. There is a beautiful scene where Craig says he enjoys coming, he comes to read for him because he wants to, not for the money. You can see that they both are filling a hole in their lives with each other, and this friendship is refreshing to see on the screen.
Craig buys Mr. Harrigan a mobile phone, so they can talk more. Harrigan has taught Craig about business, finance, and literature, and now Craig teaches him about technology and social media. Both bring something to each other’s lives and this is why it is very heartbreaking to see when Craig comes to the house to find Mr. Harrigan dead in his chair. Craig sits and reads to him one last time as they wait for help.
At the funeral, Craig sneakily put Mr. Harrigan’s phone in his casket, and after receiving a text is worried that he might still be alive. His dad reassures him he’s not and that Craig should talk to someone about how he is feeling.
As Craig is now in high school, the typical bullying has begun, to the point where he is beaten up at the school dance. Who can he go to? He calls Mr. Harrigan’s phone. Soon after, the bully Kenny is found dead. Does Harrigan have something to do with this?
Craig moves on, getting a scholarship in writing to Boston, and begins to have a semi-normal, more social life. Just as we think this is going alright for him, his kind teacher is killed in a tragic car accident. Being the one person who was also nice to him, Craig rushes home and with anger, he calls Mr. Harrigan’s phone wishing the culprit Dean Whitmore to be killed. Instantly regretting this, you can see that Craig is confused, scared, and can’t believe if these killings are because of the supernatural Harrigan.
Shortly after, Dean commits suicide in his cell. This causes Craig to panic and scream in his car.
My Harrigan’s Phone ending explained
In the final scenes we’re taken back to the beginning with Craig running through the woods coming to an edge. He stands, takes out his phone, and throws it into the water below. He then brings out the other phone, stares at it, gently puts it into his pocket, and turns around and walks away.
Craig says, “In the 21st-century phones are how we are wedded to the world… a bad marriage,” and how when he dies he wants to be buried with empty pockets. Just in case. For me, cremate me so this could never happen. As he walks away through the wood, we cut to black.
This film is very much centered around grief and how we cope with that. The supernatural aspect is close to the reality that potentially one day we will be able to use technology to speak to loved ones who have passed on. The film is trying to teach us to not obsess and be controlled by material possessions, but to enjoy life whilst we still can. A moving, touching film loaded with layers of emotion.
You can stream Mr. Harrigan’s Phone exclusively on Netflix. What did you think of Mr. Harrigan’s Phone’s ending? Let us know in the comments.
