The Whisper Man is an ode to those crime thrillers that were released in the late 1990s/early 2000s. They’re not really horror movies but they have all the elements. But since you have a cast of Robert DeNiro, Michael Keaton, Michelle Monaghan and Adam Scott, you have to label is as a psychological crime thriller.
Set in the fictional New Jersey community of Garretson, a police detective Amanda Beck (Monaghan) is leading the investigation into a missing young boy but finds a dead boy in a wooden area whose body is found similar to children murdered by Frank Carter (Keaton), nicknamed Whisper Man, in the 1990
Retired detective Peter Willis (DeNiro) caught Carter but at the cost of losing his family through long hours and alcoholism. His son, Tom Kennedy (Scott), is a novelist who returns to the town following the death of his wife, as it was her hometown. He has a son, Jake (Acston Luca Porto), who’s become antisocial and introvert only talking to an imaginary friend which gets Tom frustrated.
Soon after moving into a house, Jake is abducted leading Tom and Peter to contact each other and confront their . There’s still some animosity as Tom is bitter and his frustration grows as he starts his own investigation. Beck also needs Peter to talk to Carter to learn if this is a copycat or even an accomplice.
The movie is one of those driven by the actor’s performance. Keaton steals the show in his role while De Niro plays a reserved character trying to live his last remaining time in peace. I give the movie credit for not making Beck and Tom a love interest. Yet it seems her character gets lost among the rest.
The movie is based on a novel by Alex North, which I haven’t read, so maybe there was something lost in the adaptation or cut for pacing. The movie is streaming on Netflix and one of the criticism is how some original movies streaming online are too long.
The twist isn’t much of a twist. Yet it still packs some entertainment overall.
What do you think? Please comment.
