Harrigan (film)


Harrigan is a British crime drama film, written by Arthur McKenzie and directed by Vince Woods, that premiered on 20 August 2013. Set in 1974, the film stars Stephen Tompkinson as DS Barry Harrigan, a no-nonense copper driven by the sudden death of his wife and daughter at the hands of a vicious local thug.
Harrigan was released on DVD on 13 January 2014.

Plot

After returning from secondment to Hong Kong, DS Barry Harrigan finds that an old adversary, Dunstan, a local gang leader who was responsible for the death of his wife and daughter in an arson attack, is targeting a young mother, Vickey Frizell and her two children.
After managing to help Vickey out of trouble, Harrigan makes it his personal mission to clean up Newcastle's most notorious estate, the Monkshire, by reopening the former police section house in a bid to rid the city of Dunstan and his associates once and for all.

Cast

Harrigan was filmed on location in Gateshead, Newcastle and Hartlepool during January and February 2012, and was originally intended to be the pilot for a potentially ongoing television series. The character of Harrigan was based upon writer Arthur McKenzie, who served as a policeman in Newcastle during the 1960s and 1970s.

Reception

Harrigan holds a 14% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, on the basis of seven reviews with an averages score of 4/10. Notably, the Daily Express commented that "there are few surprises in this cliché-ridden plucky effort that may have been better as a television production."