Six differences between ‘The Whisper Man’ on Netflix and the book
Alex North’s bestselling 2019 novel The Whisper Man has been adapted into a dark Netflix Original thriller by James Ashcroft, which recently premiered on August 28th, just in time for weekend viewing.
Starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, and Adam Scott, the adaptation marks the first time one of North’s novels has made itself right at home on the screen. Speaking of which, the author says, “The common wisdom amongst myself and other writers is you only really believe it when you see it on the screen. I have finally seen it on the screen, and I love it, so I’m extremely happy.”
The serial killer mystery follows recently widowed crime writer Tom Kennedy, who moves into the quiet, sleepy town of Garretton with his eight-year-old son, Jake, oblivious to the place’s haunting history. Garretton was terrorised by the notorious Whisper Man years ago, who preyed on young boys, whispering at their windows before abducting and murdering them.
Although the original killer was put behind bars by Tom’s estranged ex-cop father, Pete, his arrival in town with Jake coincides with a new missing person case and a terrifying murder, subsequently resulting in Jake’s abduction. While the Netflix movie is largely faithful to the original source material, here are the six biggest changes adopted in the attempt to bring The Whisper Man to screen.
Six changes between Netflix’s The Whisper Man and the book:
Jake’s kidnapping sequence
When it comes to adaptations, a bit of creative control is expected from creators. And one of the most notable changes in The Whisper Man’s adaptation is Jake’s kidnapping sequence, which doesn’t happen until the third act in Alex North’s book. However, Jake’s abduction becomes an inciting incident in the Netflix movie, allowing Pete and Tom more screen time together as they race against the clock to rescue Jake and doubling down on the father-son storyline.
“It made sense to me that they would move that,” North told Tudum recently. “It’s the kind of story you can approach in different ways, I think, and that was the way that they chose to do it.”
Pete’s role in the investigation
Tom’s reconnection with Pete is not triggered by Jake’s abduction in Alex North’s book. It happens earlier, which allows Pete to babysit Jake at one point, which happens to be the day he’s stabbed as Jake is kidnapped. In the novel, Pete spends a considerable amount of time in the hospital in recovery.
On the contrary, Tom seeks his estranged father after his son is kidnapped in Netflix’s version of The Whisper Man, and viewers witness Pete actively stepping up in the investigation.
Karen’s absence
One of the significant absences in Netflix’s edition of the serial-killer mystery is Karen Shaw, whom Tom meets in Jake’s school. The day Tom leaves Pete to babysit Jake is to go on a date with her. However, that same night, Jake is abducted, and the subplot is missing from the film.
Difference in demographic setting
Alex North’s acclaimed thriller novel is set in England. However, Netflix took the liberty to change the setting to the Northeastern United States. It turns out the author was fine with the decision since he strongly believes the themes at the centre of The Whisper Man are universal, especially the father-son aspect.
“When I write everything I write, I don’t really think about it being set anywhere in particular,” North clarified. “I’m far more interested in just the characters and the relationship between the characters. It’s a book about fathers and sons, so you hope that that’s fairly universal in some of the themes and the ideas that it touches upon.”
The Girl in Blue explanation
The Girl in Blue is a major aspect of The Whisper Man’s narrative, whose debates and discussions are buzzing online. While she wears a blue dress in the novel instead of the blue sweater, Tom also joins the dots with his late wife pretty early in the book after going through his Packet of Special Things, unlike the movie, which saves the reveal for the final scene.
The Whisper Man ending
A slight change can be found in how Netflix ends the story of The Whisper Man and Alex North concludes the book. Although Pete’s death is inevitable in both cases, the book takes him out of the investigation as he is injured when he is taken.
Subsequently, Tom tracks down the copycat killer, Francis Carter Jr, while seeking a specific teaching assistant at his son’s school and pondering whether he’s on the right track before realising Jake’s presence. Tom gets stabbed while trying to save his son in the book, but survives. Meanwhile, unlike the movie, Amanda isn’t hurt in North’s novel.