I am a great fan of psychological thrillers. Films such as Seven, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend, and The Whisper Man belong to that rare category of thrillers that send chills down your spine. We see crimes that are relatable, and we feel anger, disgust, and other such emotions with stories like these, based on the crimes that are committed. The Whisper Man, directed by James Ashcroft, is based on the novel of the same name by Alex North. The story is executed in such a way that it engages you. Critics have remarked about the film, “If there is anything like that, you are going to be at least intrigued,” and I was intrigued at the beginning of the movie.

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The cast is great, especially Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation, Step Brothers, The Good Place), who plays Tom Kennedy, and Robert De Niro (Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Cape Fear), who plays Peter Willis. They are an estranged father and son who visit a town that was terrorised by a serial killer fifteen years earlier. Tom, who is a novelist, hopes that his son Jake will make new friends when attending his new school. Besides an imaginary friend, he spends a bit too much time with a girl (played by Aniela Zeig), whom only the audience can see.

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There are rumours circulating that the Whisper Man was working with an accomplice. Now, Adam Scott’s character, Tom, has his son abducted in the same town, and he looks to his estranged father for help. His father is a retired police detective, and they soon discover that there is a connection. Early in the film, several characters are introduced, some of whom immediately arouse suspicion. I enjoy films that keep viewers engaged as their mysteries unfold, but somehow The Whisper Man never felt quite as mysterious as I had expected.

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There is also another protagonist, Michelle Monaghan, as Amanda Beck (Made of Honor, Gone Baby Gone, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), who, in the beginning, is leading the search for a boy named Neil Spencer (Exavier Montanez). While the police are looking for this boy, they come across the decomposed body of another boy, and you learn about the serial killer who may have been terrorising the town. As the narrative shifts between timelines, viewers must decipher the mysteries of fifteen years earlier alongside those of the present day.

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One of the things that made me jump was that The Whisper Man is based on a nursery rhyme: “If your window's left unlatched, you'll hear him tapping at the glass.” The rhyme sounds creepier than the movie. You experience a sense of thrill and suspense as the plot moves at a brisk pace, constantly racing ahead Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice, Night Shift, Batman) plays a very interesting role. He is actually the killer known as the Whisper Man, but he was arrested and has been in prison for several years. So the question arises: who is terrorising the town at present?

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One of the less convincing aspects was the relationship between Scott and Kennedy, who simply did not come across as father and son. This may be attributed to the superficial dialogue and backstory between the two characters, as well as the broken bridges between them that need to be rebuilt. Nevertheless, the film’s plot captures emotion effectively, using a theme that is mirrored in the lives of several characters.

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There are a couple of shocking moments that come abruptly, catching you off guard and making you gasp. They are not jump scares, but they create a similar reaction by catching us off guard. Robert De Niro delivers a committed performance as a world-weary, haunted ex-cop within the film’s genuinely creepy atmosphere. Cinematographer Peter Deming intentionally deviates from traditional framing in his compositions to heighten suspense and provide the audience with subtle clues.

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Screenwriters Ben Jacoby and Chase Palmer, on the other hand, give The Whisper Man a retro vibe that echoes the well-known serial-killer film genre that gained widespread popularity in the 1960s. This film will not disappoint viewers who enjoy mysteries surrounding serial killers and their portrayal in cinema. Scott and De Niro are at the heart of a melodrama that is clumsy enough to elicit moments of unintentional laughter.

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Even though it does not hold together particularly well, it remains an entertaining film, with a few standout moments that make it worth watching.

 

I would rate the movie 8 out of 10, based on the stellar performance of Robert De Niro and the eerie cinematography. If you are looking for suspense, then go for this one!