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Netflix has struggled in the thriller space recently. After The Last House disappointed me, I was hoping that The Whisper Man would restore my faith in the genre.
Unfortunately, the new Robert DeNiro and Adam Scott led movie was another bitter disappointment. It had potential, but suffers from pacing issues and a predictable plot throughout. This was a frustrating experience for me because with a storyline like this, they could have included some smarter twists.
The Whisper Man follows grieving widower Tom Kennedy (Adam Scott), whose son Jake (Acston Luca Porto) is abducted after they move to a new town to start a new life. What was meant to be a fresh start turns into a living nightmare for Tom, who is desperate to find his son.
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This desperation leads him to his estranged father, Peter Willis (Robert DeNiro), from whom Tom has completely separated himself to the point they don’t share a surname. Peter has never met his grandson, but after a panicked Tom arranges a meet with him he agrees to help track him down. Peter was once a detective, so has the resources and skillset that Tom needs to track down Jake.
The first act of the movie does feel promising. Jake’s abduction is sudden and creepy, there’s the family tensions to dive into, and I had hoped a good movie would follow. Unfortunately, it loses momentum fast and becomes quite predictable.
It also differs from the book in some ways, so those wanting to see a completely faithful adaptation might be left disappointed. Without spoiling it, some of the changes to the script annoyed me and I think it could’ve benefitted from following the book more accurately.
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The Whisper Man has very good performances from its core cast, especially from DeNiro and Scott. They did the best that they could with the script, but even their combined talent couldn’t make this a better movie. Their father-son relationship is an interesting one but quite a lot of their reconnection felt rushed.
The story is focused on family, especially grief and loss, and I would’ve liked to learn more about what had happened between Peter and Tom. The few emotionally driven scenes we did get between them felt important, so I was frustrated that other, less important scenes seemed to drag on longer than they needed to.
Another great addition to the cast is Michael Keaton, who plays convicted serial killer Frank Carter, whom Peter helped to convict in the height of his days as a detective. Scenes between DeNiro and Keaton are also well acted, providing a familiar interrogation scene that crime lovers never seem to tire of.
Unfortunately, The Whisper Man is another run of the mill thriller movie that doesn’t offer anything new. It’s an alright thriller to watch on a rainy day if you want a familiar, easy to follow story, but it won’t satisfy viewers who are looking for twists, turns and unpredictability.
I’m hopeful that Netflix picks up some better thrillers in future because so far in 2026, it’s been very disappointing. If you’re looking for good titles to stream, why not check out our guide to the best Netflix movies.
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