Netflix’s #1 Movie Has Viewers Raving About the Cast—and Criticizing This One Thing

The reviews are in

Published Aug 31, 2026

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4:53pm

DAVID LEE/NETFLIX

Another day, another movie taking over Netflix’s coveted Top 10 list. The year kicked off with the Ben Affleck and Matt Damon-led crime thriller The Rip dominating the charts, while Adam Sandler’s coming-of-age dramedy Don’t Say Good Luck recently had viewers in their feels. Now, a psychological thriller has climbed to the top, but there’s one catch: viewers are seriously divided. Enter The Whisper Man.

The 2026 Netflix crime thriller follows a grieving widowed true-crime writer, and his 8-year-old son as they move to a quiet New Jersey town. Their fresh start quickly takes a dark turn when a child abduction mirrors the crimes of an infamous serial killer who has been imprisoned for decades. Based on Alex North’s novel of the same name, the film stars Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan and Adam Scott.

The Whisper Man was released on Netflix on August 28, 2026, and critics and viewers have had mixed feelings. While many praised the star-studded cast, many couldn't help but criticize one thing: the plot.

David Lee/Netflix

"Between the casting line up and the premise you should of gotten an excellent story but you’re left with the temu version of “prisoners,”" one reviewer wrote on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Great cast but no depth to work with in the predictable story line," another chimed.

A third wrote, "Wish it was better, great cast," while another shared, "This movie is really bad. Only features good actors and nothing else."

Of course, not everyone was on the same page. Some viewers genuinely loved the thriller, which tracks with its current middle-ground 42 percent Rotten Tomatoes audience score.

"A MUST see! Add this to your spooky season watch list. Chills right to the bone. Great acting and overall great storyline. I was on the edge of my seat," one viewer raved.

"This movie was significantly better than the reviews of sub-50% indicate," another rebutted. "Definitely worth a watch."

Someone else added, "Stop listening to movie critics, I have an attention span of 1 min but I was hooked from the beginning! Didn’t pick my phone up once!"

So, in other words, The Whisper Man may be one of those movies you’ll just have to watch and judge for yourself.

The Whisper Man is streaming now on Netflix.

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Danielle Long

Contributing Editor, News and Entertainment

Writes breaking news and entertainment content
Covers award show red carpets and movie premieres
Has earned two Edward R. Murrow Awards

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