The Whisper Man

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2:29

The Whisper Man

R

2026

1h 51m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

45%

Tomatometer

83 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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Mini Anthikad-Chhibber

The Hindu

5 days ago

The A-list cast cannot save this psychological thriller from a predictable plot and characters who make inexplicable choices

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Steve Murray

ArtsATL

Oct 15, 2026

If you like this sort of serial procedural and that cranky father-son dynamic, the Netflix film The Whisper Man looks like a no-brainer. And yeah, it’s definitely in search of a brain.

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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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Jess H

@JessHi 13 hrs ago

Just why??? This movie is a completely unnecessary contribution to the world.

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En P

@RT66026992 15 hrs ago

I want 2h of my life back! That was the most disappointing movie I've ever watched

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alala N

@alalaninha 1 day ago

I created an account on rotten tomatoes just so I could review how bad this movie was. OMG the acting is so bad, even De Niro looks uncomfortable making this movie. Can’t recommend it.

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Fifty T

@RT01421419 2 days ago

This is the absolute epitome of a Netflix filler thriller... nothing new to offer, but it checks all the boxes just enough that it's hard to outright hate. Mostly it's just something to spend time you have to waste, nothing more. The plot is predictable from start to finish, and I couldn't spot a single trope here that hasn't been done a hundred times before in this genre. The pacing and direction never manage to generate even a tiny bit of excitement or nail-biting tension - it just plods along. The acting is a real letdown too, especially Robert De Niro, who seems to be sleepwalking through this with zero effort or investment. Michael Keaton is completely wasted in an underwritten role that gives him nothing much to do. Adam Scott is uninspiring and one-dimensional, never elevating the material. With this cast, you'd expect so much more. 5.5/10: Ultimately forgettable, generic streaming content.

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Kashgar A

@AllFunAndGames 3 days ago

Well executed, entertaining thriller with a stellar cast. I’m only taking a star off because I felt that the evil dude got away with far too much at the end.

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Kelly G

@Kellz1994 5 days ago

Very good film, kept on our toes throughout, good twists and beautiful ending.

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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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