Netflix's latest psychological crime thriller, "The Whisper Man," has rapidly secured the top spot on the streaming platform's worldwide rankings, just days after its August 28 release. The film, featuring a cast that includes Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, and Michelle Monaghan, is also the number one movie in the United States, according to FlixPatrol.
Based on Alex North's 2019 novel of the same name, "The Whisper Man" centers on Tom Kennedy, a widowed crime writer whose life is disrupted when his young son is abducted. His desperate search for his child leads him to his estranged father, retired detective Pete Willis, who previously apprehended a serial killer known as the Whisper Man. As the new kidnapping bears a striking resemblance to the killer's past crimes, Detective Amanda Beck joins the investigation, prompting Pete to revisit the case that defined his career. Michael Keaton also appears as the original Whisper Man, Frank Carter.
Directed by James Ashcroft, the movie draws inspiration from 1990s serial-killer thrillers, adopting a familiar narrative structure involving a determined investigator, a menacing antagonist, and a mystery with deep historical roots. "The Whisper Man" currently holds a 42% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. While reviews have acknowledged its unsettling atmosphere and strong performances, some have pointed to a derivative plot that relies on established genre conventions.