The Whisper Man (2026) is based on the novel by Alex North and directed by James Ashcroft, featuring a screenplay by Ben Jacoby and Chase Palmer. It stars Adam Scott, Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Acston Luca Porto, Michael Keaton, Owen Teague, Hamish Linklater, Will Brill, Exavier Montanez, Randy Danson, and Robert Clohessy. The film follows Tom Kennedy (Scott) and his son, Jake (Porto), as they attempt to come to terms with the death of a close family member. To find some closure, the duo moves back to Tom’s hometown of Garretton. This quickly rekindles Tom’s estranged relationship with his father, Peter (De Niro), who 15 years earlier gained notoriety for catching a brutal child killer known as The Whisper Man. When someone kidnaps Jake using The Whisper Man’s MO, it’s up to Tom and Peter to find the culprit before it’s too late, even if that means approaching the original Whisper Man (Keaton) for advice.
Although the cast is, on paper, as good as one could ask for, the script’s choppy, occasionally laughable dialogue constantly drags them down. Actors like De Niro and Keaton make this easy to ignore, but the rest of the cast, including Scott and Monaghan, struggle to distract from the script’s glaring flaws. I think a lot of this comes down to decisions by director James Ashcroft, who I unfortunately feel is a much worse director than he’s given credit for. Sure, his films look great and have their merits, yet much like his prior effort, See No Evil (2025), he stumbles through several artistic choices that make me scratch my head. The oddly fantastical music doesn’t fit the intense subject matter; the edits are awkward, and nothing makes the experience particularly unique/memorable. Like See No Evil, however, this movie’s strengths ultimately outweigh its weaknesses.
Despite its directorial flaws, the film is an enjoyable 2 hours for anyone who enjoys mid-budget serial killer procedurals from the 90s. It isn’t exactly original, but it’s never boring or outright lazy. The killer reveal ultimately works, but it’s flawed in a way similar to Friday the 13th (1980). Like that movie, the killer isn’t present before the reveal, which feels a bit like cheating. However, unlike Friday the 13th, this reveal connects to the film’s central themes, which makes it much easier to accept.
Overall, this is a perfectly acceptable streaming-service serial-killer procedural with its fair share of flaws, but it’s ultimately an entertaining experience if you enjoy the genre. The acting ranges from great to mediocre, but it’s never boring and avoids being predictable. It’s decent; that’s all I can really say about it. Give it a shot if you tend to like this kind of thing. C+
