Netflix subscribers browsing the streaming platform for their next watch have been told to “stop scrolling” amid the arrival of a “perfect and shocking” psychological thriller. Television critic Luke Eccleston branded the film a “must-watch”, but went on to warn viewers it’s “chilling and intense”.
“The film I am talking about is called The Whisper Man,” he announced in a TikTok video. Luke continued by suggesting that fans of the movie Prisoners will find this is “just the film for you”. However, he went on to advise: “It is literally gripping from start to finish and had me on the edge of my seat. There’s some really chilling and intense moments.”
In fact film fans can expect a “dark” ending as two of the main characters are reunited in a shocking twist in prison after witnessing gruesome murders, mutilated bodies and strangulations.
Luke elaborated that the production is like a “more twisted version” of the aforementioned Prisoners, and follows the story of the Whisper Man, who taps on the glass of children’s windows.
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“He then takes them, makes them disappear and murders them,” he chillingly continued.
Carefully avoiding major spoilers, Luke revealed the perpetrator, Frank Carter – portrayed by Batman star Michael Keaton – is apprehended and locked up, only for a “new one” to return. “This film has Adam Scott, Robert De Niro and an absolute stacked cast,” he gushed.
De Niro is behind Detective Pete Willis who went into retirement after catching the Whisper Man but must return to the case when his own grandson is taken.
But what happens when he comes face-to-face with the original killer who remains behind bars and will he be able to find his beloved grandchild before it’s too late?
Netflix’s synopsis for the film states: “Jake Kennedy is missing, and it’s up to his father and grandfather to find him. That search is at the heart of The Whisper Man, the spine-tingling new thriller based on Alex North’s novel of the same name. Jake (Acston Luca Porto) has been taken by a notorious serial killer known as the Whisper Man, and the clock is ticking on his recovery.
“As mysterious cassette tapes of the Whisper Man interviewing Jake arrive, the police, led by Detective Amanda Beck (Michelle Monaghan), know they have to find the culprit before it’s too late. But there’s one other problem: The original Whisper Man has been locked up for life, so whoever’s been abducting and killing children is someone new.”
Helmed by director James Ashcroft, The Whisper Man currently holds an IMDb rating of 6.3 out of 10 based on 17,000 reviews. Echoing Luke’s clip, one viewer wrote in their review: “There hasn’t been a decent thriller in a while and this was great. It had vibes reminiscent of Prisoners, while maintaining a unique storyline.
“Adam Scott does a fantastic job and I love seeing him in a more serious role. All the actors were great! Only rated it 9/10 since there were some parts that we predicted, but overall a super enjoyable movie that was very well.”
One TikTok user responded to Luke, sharing: “It’s the best thriller I’ve watched in ages! Giving 90s plot lines.”
A second viewer enthused: “Watched that the other night, was good! Good ending too for a change.”
A third chimed in: “Literally just finished watching it. Fantastic film.”
While a fourth TikTok user concurred: “Just finished watching it half an hour ago… absolutely brilliant!”.
While the Netflix adaptation largely remains faithful to bestselling author Alex North’s 2019 novel, certain differences and timelines have been tweaked. One notable change is the discovery of Jake’s mum being his imaginary friend happens before the youngster is kidnapped, rather than at the end in the Netflix film.
Author North has also spoken out about Netflix’s production being set in the northeastern United States rather than the UK setting of his novel. He said: “When I write everything I write, I don’t really think about it being set anywhere in particular.
“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 Whisper Man is available to watch on Netflix now.