The Whisper Man

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2:29

The Whisper Man

R

2026

1h 51m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

46%

Tomatometer

81 Reviews

36%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Alex North. When his eight-year-old son is abducted, a widowed crime writer looks to his estranged father, a retired former police detective, for help, only to discover a connection with the decades-old case of a convicted serial killer known as "The Whisper Man."

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Critics Consensus

Assembling an impressive cast to go through the motions, The Whisper Man is reasonably creepy but could've stood to crank up the fresh ideas and genuine tension by a few more decibels.

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Danny Leigh

Financial Times

Sep 8, 2026

3/5

The Whisper Man is indeed a safe space for tropes... You may also wonder which is weirder: the long periods when Scott vanishes from the story, or the periods he doesn’t, miscast as a brooding drinker. Still, the plot rolls on efficiently enough.

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Ben Travis

Empire Magazine

Aug 31, 2026

3/5

A Netflix serial killer thriller that’s – whisper it! – actually pretty good, with a heavyweight cast that brings greater heft to solid if forgettable material.

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Katie Rife

Inverse

Aug 31, 2026

Saying that The Whisper Man is "better than it needs to be" would only reinforce the idea that it’s okay for Netflix movies to be disposable trash, but still: The effort is appreciated.

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Rachel Ho

Exclaim!

Sep 19, 2026

As expected, the best scenes are De Niro and Keaton's tête-à-têtes, which give the movie enough gravitas to warrant a watch.

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Sep 16, 2026

2/5

Considering the mix of subject matter and genre, the movie should pack more of a punch. Instead it’s an overly familiar crime thriller that leaves us wishing for the richer and heavier movie it could have been.

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Matt Pais

MattPais.com

Sep 16, 2026

D+

Not the worst movie ever made, but bad and upsetting enough that I’d be pretty concerned if someone I knew really liked it.

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Hernan M

@RT23222723 22 hrs ago

When you think it can get worse, it does... big time. The movie wants to pack too much, and by trying, it turns itself into a mess that needs more than one unnecessary endings.

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Nick J

@jamdawg96 23 hrs ago

Boring boring boring

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Les N

@Vegas628 1 day ago

Has Robert De Niro got a good movie left in him?

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David T

@KyFlyBoy 5 days ago

I thought this was an excellent murder thriller. Casting is perfect. Story line is creepy, weird, and scary. Enjoyed it from beginning to end. Keep the lights down dim.

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Oz S

@Ozsoffy 5 days ago

This is a very well-produced and well-shot thriller with a strong cast, including Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan, and Michael Keaton. It mixes kidnapping, murder, police investigation, prison visits, mystery, and even a touch of the supernatural. The movie looks great and has a nice atmosphere, with several genuinely tense moments. My biggest problem was that the movie practically whispers its clues directly into your ear. Maybe I watch too many movies, but I noticed some of the small details very early and immediately figured out where the story was going. Unfortunately, I was exactly right. I wish the filmmakers had been a little more subtle with the clues and given the mystery more room to surprise me. Still, it's an interesting and well-made thriller, even if its biggest mystery isn't really that mysterious.

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Jack G

@RT06792901 5 days ago

This is the epitome of lazy writing. I was real excited for this to come out on Netflix and was beyond disappointed. Is the kid afraid of stairs or not? One scene he’s having a panic attack on them, the next he just runs up them without thinking twice. The character development was abysmal. Genuinely couldn’t have cared less who died and who didn’t and the sad part is that you can tell they actually tried. Just lazy all around and not worth the time.

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James Ashcroft

Director

Robert De Niro

Pete Willis

Michelle Monaghan

Amanda Beck

Adam Scott

Tom Kennedy

Michael Keaton

Frank Carter

Owen Teague

Francis Carter Jr.

The Whisper Man: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Alex North. When his eight-year-old son is abducted, a widowed crime writer looks to his estranged father, a retired former police detective, for help, only to discover a connection with the decades-old case of a convicted serial killer known as "The Whisper Man."

Director: James Ashcroft
Producer: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Screenwriter: Ben Jacoby
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: AGBO, British Film Commission
Rating: R (Language|Disturbing Images|Brief Sexual References|Some Bloody Violence|Suicide)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 28, 2026
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

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