THE WHISPER MAN (2026)

Us here at Premium Def, well… we don’t consider ourselves to be highbrows, cinephile-wise. Gun to our heads, we prefer John Carpenter to Jean-Luc Godard and John Hughes over Atom Egoyan every day of the week. We respect entertainment; set/setting and mood can dictate one’s tolerance for the derivative and even the predictable, making what some might find pedestrian still enjoyable, hence new Netflix film The Whisper Man (2026). Are there better serial killer thrillers? Well, duh. One would have to know to temper his expectations a little going in. Yet despite a handful of inoffensive missteps, it’s a solid installment to the genre. But more than that, it’s the late ’90s nostalgic feel that goes with this type of film that we appreciated; the detective/psycho, cat and mouse serial killer thriller that we didn’t know we were missing is strangely comforting. It’s not gritty like John McNaughton’s Henry: Portarit of a Serial Killer (1986), nor haunting like Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs (2024) nor as memorable and thoughtful as Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners (2013). Yet, alongside Copycat (1995), Kiss The Girls (1997) and even The Bone Collector (1999), it holds its own. As does Adam Scott, whose solid role-choices streak continues with, yet again, another physically non-threatening man who’s pushed to his limits while also being sort of a dick. And while his father played by Robert De Niro is no longer that Robert De Niro, he brings his reserve, adding egoless depth to this steady ensemble cast. Michelle Monaghan surprises, given her stalwartness and a script that thanks her for it with realtime chaos. And Michael Keaton is… well, Michael Keaton (picture Max Headroom coked out of his skull), but damn you gotta love him for making it work, all of the time. He’s batshit crazy. (Get it? We stand by it.) However, we admit, even with all the charisma and its welcome throwback feels, The Whisper Man lacks in the red herrings department. They’re not juicy enough nor effective and we were, most humbly, hip to the twists before the characters, which is not good for a thriller. You may already be aware that critics en masse are dismissing this film, and we concur that it’s not the best. But the hate is overindulged. It’s true that no one’s cutting off any faces here, but trust us fellow part-time lowbrows! Light up a weeknight joint, and settle in for some pleasing and proud plebeian entertainment. You’ll be happily disappointed.

WATCH OR NOT: WATCH