Does Craig Discard His Phone After Mr. Harrigan’s Phone Ends?
The Netflix original film “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” tells the tale of a little kid who, after meeting an elderly man, becomes involved in a sinister chain of events. The movie has elements of both warmth and terror. It makes the audience consider what they would do if they were in the protagonist’s position by using grief as a tool to analyse the nature of its characters. Based on the same-named short tale by Stephen King, the movie creates a tense atmosphere that keeps viewers wondering whether or not the events are supernatural all the way to the very end. Eventually, the truth is revealed, and the boy’s character is put to the test. What the ending entails for him is as follows. Spoilers follow.
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Summary of Mr. Harrigan’s Phone
Craig resides in a small community with his father where everyone knows everyone. Both the youngster and his father had a hard time dealing with the death of their mother, who had passed away a few years prior. One day, Mr. Harrigan, a local tycoon, makes Craig an offer. He is getting quite old, and his vision is getting worse. He requests that Craig spend an hour reading to him at his home three times per week. Mr. Harrigan initially makes Craig nervous, but as time goes on, the two grow to like one another.
Five years later, Craig is still reading to Mr. Harrigan on a regular basis, despite the hurdles he faces as a teenager attending a new school. Since having a phone is very important in his school and Craig wants to be near a girl he likes, he asks his father to buy him one. Later, Craig purchases a phone for Mr. Harrigan as well, and despite the reclusive man’s initial reluctance to introduce modern technology to his home, he eventually comes to appreciate its numerous benefits. Mr. Harrigan passes away a few months later, and Craig slips the phone into his pocket. The elderly man’s phone is buried alongside him. When Craig sends a message to Mr. Harrigan and gets a response, trouble starts.
What Did Mr. Harrigan’s Texts Mean Before His Phone Ended?
Craig had already experienced trauma when he discovered Mr. Harrigan’s body, especially in light of the fact that he hadn’t yet come to terms with his mother’s passing. He had a sentimental reason for leaving the phone in Mr. Harrigan’s pocket. Craig had only given him this one gift, therefore he wanted the man to have it. Additionally, it was his sole way to communicate with the man he had come to like. When it came to discussing his emotions, he had always kept his father at a distance, but with Mr. Harrigan, things were different. Even after his death, Craig wanted to hold onto the idea that he could share anything with him.
The letter Mr. Harrigan leaves for Craig contains the first message he sends. Craig had texted him the previous evening to express that he would miss spending their afternoons together. It served as his means of farewell. But the following day, he gets a letter from Mr. Harrigan that was written two months before his passing. Mr. Harrigan had added that he too will miss their afternoons spent together at the letter’s conclusion. Craig finds this unsettling, but he justifies it as a coincidence. Since they had been friends for five years, it was expected that Harrigan would close the letter in the same way that Craig had written his final farewell.
When Craig receives texts from Mr. Harrigan, things really start to go south. The phone is in Mr. Harrigan’s casket and no one is aware of it, therefore this is obviously not a coincidence. Second, why would someone write anything meaningless even if they had it and wanted to play around? Only three texts from the deceased man remain for Craig to receive by the movie’s conclusion. The first time he hears it is when he thanks him for the money in the first voicemail and receives the response “CCC aa.” Mr. Harrigan might be telling Craig to “ask anything,” like he did when Craig had questioned him about the hidden closet. After Kenny Yankovic passes away, he receives a second text that says “aa CCC x.” This sounds more ambiguous, but it may be “ask anything Craig.” The last “x” could stand for kisses and hugs, as in “xo xo.” It feels odd for Mr. Harrigan, though, and he might be doing it to show Craig that he is watching out for him.
After he requests that Mr. Harrigan assassinate Deane Whitmore, he receives one final text. It says, “CCC s T.” Like the other texts, this seems to be happening at random and there isn’t a clear explanation for it. Craig eventually tries to make sense of it while considering the counsel Mr. Harrigan might offer. He is absolutely saddened about having caused the deaths of two people, which may have been prevented if he hadn’t called Mr. Harrigan. He has kept these texts a secret from anyone. The only person he could have discussed it with is Mr. Harrigan. However, the old guy isn’t there, and the sole information he gave Craig is contained in those mysterious writings. Craig comes up with the justification for the final texts to convince himself that Mr. Harriagn would have wanted him to stop. He interprets “s T” as stop, and that’s all it takes for him to halt and put the phone in the trash, just like Mr. Harriagn had previously recommended when Craig first showed him an iPhone.
Given the circumstances, it is reasonable to say that it is irrelevant what the writings imply and what Mr. Harrigan’s ghost was attempting to communicate to Craig. It was up to him to determine what it meant, so he could have done anything. Too many words were thrown together to make sense. What counts is that Craig desired to cease, and he desired a warning. The message is taken by him as a signal from Mr. Harrigan to quit, once and for all, because Mr. Harrigan was the one who he most wanted to tell him so.
Mr. Harrigan Chose Craig For What Reason?
Before he met Mr. Harrigan, Craig’s life had been extremely routine and very unremarkable. He read books to the elderly man three days a week for five years. After his death, he experienced some extremely unsettling events that caused him to reflect on his true identity. Craig has had a persistent thought during this whole ordeal. Why did Mr. Harrigan pick him, exactly? The reclusive billionaire had a reputation for being cold to visitors. He was a reclusive man who lived alone. He could have chosen any kid to read to him when he needed someone to do so. Since Craig acknowledges that there were better readers than him, Mr. Harrigan’s choice to hire him was not primarily motivated by his ability to read. Craig eventually realises he was correct.
Craig and Mr. Harrigan would have their meetings in a hidden cupboard in the hallway. Mr. Harrigan informed Craig that there were “secrets” in the closet when he attempted to learn what was within. The closet isn’t opened by Craig until after Mr. Harrigan has passed away. It turned out that Mr. Harrigan’s secrets were actually memories of his past. Craig discovers pictures of Mr. Harrigan’s parents and childhood. He learns his mother had passed away when he was very little.
Mr. Harrigan could identify with Craig’s plight when he learned that he was going through a similar period of mourning. He was aware of what it was like and how lonely losing a parent at a young age may be. He was aware that Craig needed a motivation to leave the house and engage in activities that would distract him from his problems. Despite how wonderful his father was, Craig needed someone to support him as he went through this difficult time. Mr. Harrigan decided on Craig because he was lonely and needed a friend. The elderly man had also begun to experience feelings of loneliness at this time in his life. because he had always avoided eye contact. He avoided getting too close to people. At his funeral, it becomes clear that he had no friends that cared about him. Mr. Harrigan therefore offered him the task of visiting him three times a week to read books to him, not just to help Craig but also for himself.
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Craig Keeps His Phone, But Does He Also Discard It?
On the surface, “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” appears to be the tale of a youngster who is tormented by an elderly man. A closer examination reveals that the story is essentially about a person’s decision, though. Power can be tough. It can be utilised to make the world a better place, but it can also cause destruction. Additionally, it can be challenging to predict a certain person’s behaviour once they possess unfathomable power. Mr. Harrigan possessed the ability to alter people’s lives during his entire existence. While he was kind and compassionate toward those who showed him kindness, he was vicious and vengeful toward those who would wrong him. This was how he exercised his authority, and this was what made him who he was.
Craig discovers the ability to fulfil Mr. Harrigan’s pledge after his death. He had promised to “kill his foes.” Craig didn’t understand the concept of “dispatching” people at the moment. When Kenny strikes him, he responds by fighting back, taking it to mean that. But as much as he despised Kenny, he didn’t want him to perish. He puts the phone aside out of fear after realising that he might be to blame for his classmate’s passing. Then, though, his beloved teacher Ms. Hart passes away, and her killer escapes punishment. Craig is so enraged by this that he purposefully places Mr. Harrigan in Mr. Harrigan’s path. Even today, he is unsure if it would succeed, but as he learns the precise circumstances behind Deane Whitmore’s passing, he realises that it was entirely his fault.
Craig’s own ideas are unsettling him. It doesn’t take him long to recognise that turning to the dark side is what he is doing because desiring justice and wishing someone killed are two very different things. He is also troubled by how he has tarnished Mr. Harrigan’s memory as a result of his own deeds. He respected the elderly guy, but by forcing his ghost to do his bidding, he transforms him into an evil force. He never desired this for either Mr. Harrigan or himself. He finally decides to throw away the phone he had been using to speak with Mr. Harrigan. He considers getting rid of his new phone as well, but since Mr. Harrigan cannot be reached through it, it is not as risky.
He also discovers that the goal is not to get rid of anything that might end up being helpful or powerful. The idea is not to employ them to carry out terrible activities. Because of this, he maintains his new phone and puts Mr. Harrigan out of his mind, hoping that he will finally find peace and won’t roll over in his grave as a result of Craig’s attachment to him.