Robert De Niro's New Crime Thriller Officially Becomes a Streaming Smash Hit

Serial killer thrillers have long been a reliable source of nightmare fuel, particularly when they combine a grisly investigation with something more personal. True crime is a huge boon for the streamers and, through that, viewers start looking for simply... crime. And it works for them. Netflix has leaned heavily into the genre over the years, and its latest entry brings Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon) to the fore.

Their newest thriller, based on Alex North's best-selling novel The Whisper Man, has become a huge streaming hit since arriving on Netflix, climbing all the way to No. 1 on the streamer's weekly global movie chart. When his 8-year-old son is abducted, a widowed crime writer (Adam Scott) looks to his estranged father (De Niro), a retired former police detective, for help, only to discover a connection with the decades-old case of a convicted serial killer known as "The Whisper Man."

The cast is led by Scott with De Niro alongside him, while Michelle Monaghan (The White Lotus), Michael Keaton (Birdman), Hamish Linklater (Midnight Mass), and Owen Teague (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) round out the cast.

Is 'The Whisper Man' Any Good?

According to the streamer's latest viewership report, the movie amassed 33 million views in its second week. In its opening frame, The Whisper Man debuted with 23 million views, putting its two-week total at 55 million views. So it's certainly a success in that respect. But in terms of critical response, less so. In his review, Collider's David Caballero cited The Silence of the Lambs, Copycat, and The Bone Collector as influences on the film, while De Niro is cited as a highlight: "He brings a convincing weariness to his performance that reminds you just how great he is, even if he's functioning at about 60% of his full capacity here."

The Whisper Man hasn't received the same level of enthusiasm from critics as it has from Netflix viewers. The serial killer thriller currently holds a 46% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes from 78 reviews, leaving it firmly in "Rotten" territory, while its 39% Popcornmeter score from more than 500 audience ratings is even lower.

The Whisper Man is streaming exclusively on Netflix.