The Whisper Man is a 2026 American crime thriller film directed by James Ashcroft and written by Ben Jacoby and Chase Palmer. It is based on the novel of the same name by Alex North and stars Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, and Adam Scott. The story follows a recently widowed novelist who moves with his son to a town where police are investigating a child abduction linked to a notorious serial killer. The film was released by Netflix on August 28, 2026, and received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot and premise
The story centres on novelist Tom Kennedy, who relocates with his young son Jake to Garretton, his late wife's hometown. Police are searching for a missing child, and the case appears connected to Frank Carter, a serial killer known as the Whisper Man who murdered boys in the 1990s. When Jake is abducted, Tom works alongside his estranged father, Peter, the detective who originally captured the killer, to uncover the truth behind the crimes.
Production history
The source novel was published in 2019, and the film rights were optioned by the Russo brothers through their production company AGBO before publication. James Ashcroft was announced as director in 2023. Principal photography took place in and around Plainfield, New Jersey, in 2025, with a cast that included Michael Keaton and John Carroll Lynch alongside the leads. Colin Stetson composed the original score.
Critical reception
Critics gave the film mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, 46 percent of reviews were positive, and Metacritic assigned it a weighted score of 52 out of 100. Reviewers generally praised the cast and the atmosphere, while some felt the film did not add enough fresh ideas or tension to its genre.
