‘Mr. Harrigan’s Phone’
This 2022 Netflix adaptation of a Stephen King novella flew under the radar when it came out, and now it has the distinction of being one of the late, great Donald Sutherland’s final movie roles, after the actor died at the age of 88 last week. Written and directed by John Lee Hancock, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone tells the story of a young boy named Craig (played by Jaeden Martell) who takes a job reading out loud to a grumpy, elderly billionaire, Mr. Harrigan (Sutherland). The two become friends, and, after Mr. Harrigan dies, Craig finds he still gets texts from the old man. Sutherland does what he always did best in his late career: A performance filled with both intimidating gravitas and heartbreaking humanity. From his acting to his anti-war activism, Sutherland was one of the greats. He will be missed.