This new crime thriller based on the acclaimed novel by Alex North makes for an entertaining, if conventional, addition to Netflix’s catalogue. Produced by the Russo Brothers and bolstered by a fantastic cast, The Whisper Man explores grief and generational trauma, following a serial killer who abducts and murders vulnerable young boys.
The Whisper Man follows Tom Kennedy (Adam Scott), a crime novelist relocating to the area with his young son, Jake, following the loss of his wife. They move into your typical sparsely furnished, unreasonably large horror film home, equipped with a token creepy basement and supernatural occurrences. Jake feels uncomfortable in the new home (can’t blame him) and is struggling to adapt to the loss of his mother.
Meanwhile, Detective Amanda Beck (Michelle Monaghan) is investigating the abduction of young boys in the local area after discovering a body in the film’s opening scene. Beck notices similarities with a serial killer from decades prior, the ‘Whisper Man’, named as such due to his method of abduction; he would lure children from their beds at night by whispering through their window. However, the real ‘Whisper Man’, Frank Carter, has been incarcerated for years, leading Beck to conclude they’re dealing with a copycat.
She decides to contact the detective who caught Carter in the original investigation, Pete Willis (Robert De Niro), who is reluctant to reopen the wounds of a case that consumed him. Pete’s mind is changed when his estranged son, who it turns out is Tom, comes to him for help – Jake has been abducted. What follows is a pretty typical detective thriller as Willis and Beck chase leads and search for clues in an attempt to find Jake before it’s too late.
After getting off to a slow start in the first act, the action and tension eventually pick up, with effectively crafted twists that culminate in an intense finale. Director James Ashcroft provides a steady hand, and the film is powered by a truly unsettling score by Colin Stetson. Ben Jacoby (The First Omen) and Chase Palmer (It) co-wrote the screenplay, which is pretty unambitious; the dialogue is a carousel of police drama catchphrases and spoon-fed exposition.
Luckily, Scott is fantastic here as Tom, a grieving, angry father searching for his son, and he plays wonderfully off of De Niro’s Willis, the veteran detective with gravitas and regrets. With these two on screen, it becomes easy to feel more invested in their relationship than the mystery itself. The unlisted actor playing Frank Carter (Netflix would prefer this one be a surprise) is similarly magnetic, in a Lecter-esque role with the perfect amount of screen time.
The Whisper Man is a by-the-book crime thriller with a stellar cast. It probably won’t be a film that will stick with you, but it’s an enjoyable weekend watch.
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On Netflix now / Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan, Robert De Niro, Michael Keaton, Hamish Linklater, Owen Teague / James Ashcroft / Netflix
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