Netflix's 'The Whisper Man' Revives the '90s Serial Killer Film Formula | Review

There was a time, in the mid-to-late '90s, when movie theaters would get a new serial killer thriller seemingly every month. You know the ones: Without a Trace, Copycat, Kiss the Girls, The Bone Collector, and the like, all chasing the same highs achieved by the genre-defining The Silence of the Lambs. Each would follow roughly the same formula, feature a few big names and some dark basements, and would ultimately amount to a solid and creepy, if not especially ground-breaking, time at the movies.

If you've found yourself missing this long-lost era, you're in luck: that's exactly what you get with The Whisper Man, Netflix's latest crime thriller from director James Ashcroft. The film, based on the eponymous 2019 novel by Alex North, features a genuinely impressive cast, including Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott, and Michael Keaton. It doesn't exactly reinvent the formula or offer anything particularly fresh, but it's a solid and extremely eerie watch nonetheless, and a throwback to a time when these sorts of thrillers were commonplace and reliable.

What Is 'The Whisper Man' About?

The Whisper Man centers on Detective Amanda Beck (Monaghan), who is investigating the disappearance of a child. Evidence hints that the culprit is the Whisper Man, a serial killer who targeted children, held them captive and asked them questions, which he taped and sent to the authorities, before ultimately strangling them. The Whisper Man was caught by now-retired Detective Inspector Pete Willis (De Niro), who refuses to get involved in the investigation. Things change when a new child disappears: the 8-year-old son of writer Tom Kennedy (Scott), who has an unexpected connection to the decades-old case and those involved.

The supporting cast includes Michael Keaton and professional creepy guys Hamish Linklater and Owen Teague, while young Acston Luca Porto plays Jake, Tom's son and the catalyst for the investigation.

'The Whisper Man's Greatest Success Is Its Creepy Atmosphere

The success or failure of a good thriller movie often hinges on the atmosphere and tone. While many focus on the minutiae of the investigation, the pulpier ones favor a pervading atmosphere of gloom and doom that makes everything far more discomforting. It's this area where The Whisper Man is strongest. There's a queasiness to almost every scene, especially those that put us in the Whisper Man's POV. We watch him interact with his victims, half-hidden in shadows while taping their interviews. These sequences are uniquely disturbing, not only for their actual content, but because of Ashcroft's camera: it remains detached, neither voyeuristic nor predatory but rather matter-of-fact, a mere chronicler of events beyond our control.

Visually, The Whisper Man is nothing extraordinary. Outside of the killer POV sequences, Ashcroft's direction is unremarkable, never stylish per se but far better than the usual Netflix fare. Likewise, the cinematography is a cut above the gray, washed-up hues you've come to expect from standard streaming efforts, but it's not striking enough to be memorable or even particularly distinct. The film's editing does a solid job keeping things moving at a good pace. There are some interesting choices, especially concerning the film's supernatural aspect, but they're mostly confined to the first twenty minutes or so.

Speaking of the supernatural hints, The Whisper Man sometimes reminded me of another De Niro thriller, Hide and Seek—though this one is far better. Like Hide and Seek, The Whisper Man deals with presences that might or might not be imaginary. It's an interesting addition to the story in that it never feels shoehorned, and it greatly contributes to the overall eeriness.

'The Whisper Man' Boasts a Strong Cast

As expected when actors like De Niro and Keaton are on hand, The Whisper Man finds great strength in its ensemble. De Niro is quite gripping; the actor is never phoning it in, despite playing a very by-the-numbers character. He brings a convincing weariness to his performance that reminds you just how great he is, even if he's functioning at about 60% of his full capacity here. Monaghan works similarly well in a very underwritten and cookie-cutter role: the hard-working, jaded detective who will stop at nothing to find the killer. She even gets her own Clarice Starling moment, because, again, all these movies are chasing The Silence of the Lambs.

For his part, Scott is right at home playing an archetype he's perfected by now: the not-quite-capable protagonist who will get the job done, somehow. He's very compelling, selling Tom's desperation by doing his best Hugh-Jackman-in-Prisoners impression. Scott also brings some much-welcome levity to an otherwise bleak story — not because the lines are particularly funny, but because he is. As for the rest of the cast, I simply can't mention them without spoilers, so let's just say this: Keaton is always good, and The Whisper Man is no exception. Linklater and Teague have made careers out of playing eerie dudes, and The Whisper Man is also no exception.

By embracing the well-known genre tropes of classic '90s crime thrillers, The Whisper Man ultimately succeeds as both a disturbing serial killer story and an engaging, old-fashioned thriller. It might actually warrant a rewatch, especially for those who are particularly attached to the crime genre. There aren't many surprises, and the identity of the villain — both the actor playing him and the character himself — is fairly obvious once you glance at the cast list. Despite that, The Whisper Man is still a worthwhile exercise in quasi-genre pulp that will rattle you just enough to keep you fixed on the TV, at least until the credits roll.

The Whisper Man

The Whisper Man debuts globally on Netflix on August 28.