Netflix brings Robert De Niro back to crime drama: ‘The Whisper Man’
Stop whatever you are doing and pay attention, because Netflix has just announced a crime flick with Robert De Niro, and it is going to be massive. The movie is named The Whisper Man, and don’t confuse it with another thriller coming on Netflix. And since De Niro is at the centre of it, that tells you the tone is going to be darker and more serious, not your usual throw-it-on-and-forget-about-it job.
The setup is a bit grim. The Whisper Man is based on Alex North’s novel, and if you have heard anything about it, it’ll be that rhyme, the one kids repeat without thinking, except here it is brilliantly tied to a serial killer who doesn’t want to remain silent. That’s where the film gets its edge, because what do you mean something as harmless as a rhyme can be twisted into something you don’t want to echo in your head at night when you’re alone?
Behind the scenes, we’ve got James Ashcroft directing, which already points towards something dark. It’s clearly being positioned as one of Netflix’s biggest thrillers this year, and the biggest proof would be to cast De Niro.
The film also marks Netflix and AGBO’s sixth collaboration, which is worth highlighting because that partnership has already produced big action-thriller projects for the streamer, including the Extraction films and The Gray Man. For The Whisper Man, though, the angle looks less muscle and more brain.
What’s the plot of The Whisper Man
The story follows Tom Kennedy, who is a widowed crime writer trying to keep things steady for his young son, Jake, after everything they’ve already been through. They move to a new town, a fresh start and all that, thinking it’ll help… and then Jake disappears. Just gone without explanation.
At that point, Tom’s got nowhere else to turn, so he goes back to his dad. Now, that’s not a simple phone call, because the two of them aren’t exactly close. A bit of distance there, a bit of history, you know how it is. But his dad, played by Robert De Niro, used to be a detective, and not just any detective, the one who caught the guy they called the Whisper Man years ago.
That’s where things start getting messed up, because kids are going missing again. That shouldn’t be happening. That case was meant to be done, but the details coming through now are too familiar. Same patterns, same sort of signs. So now you’ve got this situation where Tom and his dad have to work together, whether they like it or not, trying to figure out what’s actually going on. And all the while, time is ticking. Jake’s still missing, and the relationship between these two men is way too complicated.
Cast and release date
De Niro is leading the whole thing, and with a role that intense, the makers had to be sure that it was handled by the right artist. Alongside him, Adam Scott plays Tom Kennedy, which might catch a few people off guard, but we’re hopeful that when it all comes together, it’ll work.
Michelle Monaghan’s in there as well, adding to the investigation side of things, and you’ve got Hamish Linklater and Owen Teague.
The Whisper Man is releasing on Netflix on August 28th. So if you are a De Niro fan or just a crime thriller lover, this movie is coming for you.