‘The Whisper Man’ Review: Netflix’s Latest Thriller Overcomes a Dull Mystery With Strong Performances

Not to play my hand a little too soon, but James Ashcroft’s (The Rule of Jenny Pen) The Whisper Man is no Sharp Objects. I draw that comparison because I think Gillian Flynn’s source novel and showrunner Marti Noxon’s HBO series of the same name are this century’s strongest serial-killing storytelling around. They’re unmatched in their gothic drip, community decay, and rich, insidious characterization – the murders are the point, but they’re also distinctly, conspicuously not. The Whisper Man, conversely, adapted from Alex North’s novel of the same name, is serial killing as airport comfort food. Readers, think Riley Sager, and watchers, think every other Netflix Original out there. It does just enough to do the job without doing anything exceptionally well.

Adam Scott stars as Tom Kennedy, a bereaved father and widow en route to start a new life with his son, Jake (Acston Luca Porto), where he and his late wife grew up. It’s all Pacific Northwest dreary, small-town Americana by way of Portland fog and slick pavement. They move into an Only-On-Netflix-Style Craftsman rental, eager to move on, when their homecoming is cut short after Jake is taken by a notorious serial killer: the titular Whisper Man.

Or maybe not, since Tom’s absentee father and police retiree Pete (Robert De Niro, incredulously not phoning it in here) successfully apprehended that killer decades ago. So, is it the long-rumored accomplice? A new acolyte or copycat? That’s the question The Whisper Man poses for nearly two hours, and the ultimate answer is as shrug-inducing as the movie itself treats it.

Largely, The Whisper Man adheres to the muddy look and plotting of most Netflix procedurals. De Niro and co-star Michelle Monaghan whittle down the available clues and ever-expanding list of red herrings to find their man. The trio of Scott, De Niro, and Monaghan are The Whisper Man’s greatest strength. While largely saddled with conventional mystery/thriller dynamics – Scott’s on the brink, Monaghan needs to solve this specific case—all three performers elevate the familiarity with enough personality to break through the muck of been-there, done-that.