Netflix viewers are screaming over unsettling new crime thriller starring Robert De Niro

Netflix subscribers looking for a dark mystery to get lost in have been turning their attention to The Whisper Man, a new crime thriller starring Robert De Niro, Adam Scott and Michelle Monaghan.

Released on Netflix on August 28, the film runs for 1 hour and 53 minutes and adapts Alex North’s New York Times bestselling novel. At its center is a widowed father whose eight-year-old son is abducted, drawing him into a case connected to a convicted serial killer known as the Whisper Man.

Directed by James Ashcroft, whose previous work includes The Rule of Jenny Pen, the film combines a missing-child investigation with a complicated family relationship between a son and his estranged father.

What is The Whisper Man about?

Adam Scott plays Tom Kennedy, a widowed crime writer whose life changes when his eight-year-old son is abducted.

With his child missing, Tom turns to his estranged father, Pete Willis, a retired police detective played by Robert De Niro. Pete once helped put away a serial killer, but the new disappearance appears to have an unsettling connection to that decades-old case.

Michelle Monaghan plays Detective Amanda Beck, who becomes involved in the investigation.

The premise, according to Netflix, centers on the discovery that the missing child’s case is linked to the serial killer Pete previously brought to justice.

That connection puts Tom and Pete at the heart of a case involving old crimes, a missing child and a killer whose influence has not necessarily disappeared.

Viewers are calling the thriller seriously unsettling

The film has already prompted strong reactions from viewers, particularly from those who have found its darker moments difficult to watch alone at night.

One viewer described The Whisper Man as a “deliciously dark, unsettling thriller,” while another admitted to jumping and screaming repeatedly during the film and regretting watching it so late at night.

A third viewer praised the movie’s twists and turns, saying they remained glued to the screen throughout and recommending it to others.

The reactions reflect the film’s emphasis on suspense and mystery, with Netflix itself describing it as an ominous thriller built around twists, serial-killer elements and psychological tension.

A cast led by Robert De Niro, Adam Scott and Michelle Monaghan

The film brings together a prominent cast, with Robert De Niro taking the role of Pete Willis.

De Niro is joined by Adam Scott as Tom Kennedy and Michelle Monaghan as Detective Amanda Beck. Scott is known for Severance and Big Little Lies, while Monaghan has appeared in Gone Baby Gone and The White Lotus.

The supporting cast includes Hamish Linklater, known for Midnight Mass and Nickel Boys; Owen Teague, whose credits include It and You Hurt My Feelings; Acston Luca Porto, who appeared in Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado; and Will Brill, whose credits include The Eyes of My Mother and Not Fade Away. Netflix’s official cast listing also includes these performers alongside the three leads.

James Ashcroft directs the adaptation, with Ben Jacoby and Chase Palmer credited as writers. The movie is based on Alex North’s bestselling novel.

Now streaming on Netflix

The Whisper Man arrived on Netflix on August 28, 2026, and is now available to stream.

With a missing child at the center of its story, a decades-old serial-killer case resurfacing and Robert De Niro leading an impressive cast, the film offers plenty for viewers who enjoy crime mysteries with a darker edge.