It Fans, Don't Miss Stephen King's Overlooked Netflix Thriller

Stephen King adaptations are pretty much their own subgenre at this point. If you grew up with Tim Curry’s Pennywise haunting your memories, or you got creeped out by Bill Skarsgård’s version in 2017, you already know how much mileage the 'It' story (and its offshoots like 'Welcome to Derry') has had over the years. Young teens facing evil while tackling their own personal demons—that’s a King specialty, and it resonates for a reason. But while some King-based films get endless attention, others basically vanish overnight—even the good ones.

Case in point: 'Mr. Harrigan’s Phone.' If you’re drawing a blank, you’re not alone. Despite a pretty stacked pedigree, this movie somehow flew under the radar, which, given the nonstop deluge of King content (we’re on what, 'Children of the Corn XI' now?), isn’t too surprising. Still, if you’re a fan of the traumatized-kid-turns-detective genre (which apparently, I am), you should probably track this one down.

'Mr. Harrigan’s Phone'—The One You Missed

First, the basics: In 2022, Ryan Murphy (yep, the 'American Horror Story' guy) and Blumhouse (the horror studio with more jump scares per minute than anyone else) got together to adapt King’s novella 'Mr. Harrigan’s Phone.' The story originally appeared in King’s 2020 collection, 'If It Bleeds.' John Lee Hancock—who just directed Denzel Washington’s 'The Little Things'—wrote and directed the movie, which landed on Netflix with barely a ripple.

This Isn’t a Kids vs. Clown Story, But...

The movie stars Jaeden Martell (who, fun fact, played Bill in 'It' 2017, so apparently he collects Stephen King trauma like Pokémon), Donald Sutherland, and Joe Tippett. Martell’s character, Craig, is a lonely teenager who does chores and reads books to a reclusive old man, Mr. Harrigan (Sutherland). They strike up an unlikely friendship, and Craig gives Harrigan a basic smartphone—mostly so they can keep in touch. Old man Harrigan doesn’t survive the runtime—sorry, but it’s a Stephen King story. Craig slips the phone into his casket as a sort of memento after he passes away.

Now here's where it takes the expected King left turn: After Harrigan’s funeral, Craig, who’s being picked on at school, calls the dead guy’s phone to vent about his troubles. Next thing you know, bad things start happening to Craig’s bully, and it kind of seems like Mr. Harrigan is getting involved from the other side. Voicemails from beyond the grave, mysterious karma, and a whole lot of 'is this really happening, or is Craig losing it?' energy fill the rest of the story. Bottom line: what starts as your standard coming-of-age drama quickly mutates into a genuinely eerie morality tale about loss, friendship, and revenge—King’s comfort zone.

The Cast

• Jaeden Martell as Craig (also of 'It' fame—King’s go-to confused teen, it seems)
• Donald Sutherland as Mr. Harrigan
• Joe Tippett in a supporting role

What Worked, What Didn’t, and Why It’s Worth Your Time

Let’s get real: critics and viewers were all over the place on this one. Martell and Sutherland’s performances were widely praised, so the acting isn’t the issue. The big divide was pacing. People expected full-on horror and got something slower, more thoughtful, and a bit lighter on the actual scares. One could easily argue it’s not really trying to be terrifying; this is more about the emotional fallout of grief—and what we’d do if we could still have contact with the people we’ve lost, even if the results are more 'creepy text message' and less 'killer clown.'

If you come in for hardcore scares, you might be let down. But if you’re into an emotional ghost story wrapped in small-town drama with just enough eeriness to keep you guessing, this is a pretty solid watch. It didn’t get the fanfare of the bigger King blockbusters, but I think it deserves a second look, especially for 'It' fans who want more in that 'growing up is a nightmare' vein.

'Mr. Harrigan’s Phone features atmosphere and characters that keep you watching, and raises questions about grief, revenge, and how we process trauma—with a supernatural twist, naturally.'

It’s one of the more underrated King movies to come along recently, and if you missed it on Netflix, you’re not alone. But it’s still out there, ready to surprise anyone who thinks they’ve already seen every King adaptation worth watching.