The Whisper Man

Movie Name: The Whisper Man
Year of Release: 2026
Director: James Ashcroft
Starring: Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott, Michael Keaton, Owen Teague, Acston Luca Porto, Hamish Linklater, Will Brill, Robert Clohessy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

The multi-hyphenated James Ashcroft, who started his career in acting but has since moved on to writing and directing features, has followed the well received "The Rule of Jenny Pen", with this Netflix produced and released feature which has substantial viewership numbers. The film follows multiple threads, all of which converge on a serial killer who was captured in the 1990s, who had a particular signature: he murdered boys, recorded messages of the captives addressing their loved ones, and their bodies were eventually discovered with a shirt wrapped around their heads. This serial killer, by the name of Frank Carter or The Whisper Man, was apprehended by the now retired, Peter Willis. In 2026, Detective Amanda Beck discovers the body of a dead boy featuring the same trademarks of the imprisoned Frank Carter. She seeks out the advice of Peter Willis, since she knows Frank Carter won't speak to anyone but him, but he admits to being retired and having nothing else to add to that story. In the meantime Peter's estranged son, Tom Kennedy, moves back to the same town with his young son, following the death of his wife. The little boy by the name of Jake, has an imaginary friend, and his mom's long illness has traumatized him. He finds out someone outside his room, who also tries to reach out to him through the letter box located in the front door, events that spark serious concern with Tom. Jake's imaginary friend also warns him of "the boy in the floor". Jake is kidnapped, leading Tom to reach out to Peter asking for help. Peter eventually uncovers a new person into this scenario, a very wealthy man by the name of Norman Collins, who collects serial killer memorabilia. While the police suspects he is involved in the current kidnappings, he has alibis for all these occurrences. As time is running out for Jake, further aspects of Frank's previous killings come into play, that influence what is taking place. 

"The Whisper Man" is adapted from the very well received book with the same title from Alex North. Much like James Patterson's books, these thrillers touch similar universes as the ones Thomas Harris' tackled with "Red Dragon", "The Silence of the Lambs", and "Hannibal", namely stories about unflinching serial killers who develop an obsessive relationship with the detective who has imprisoned them. James Ashcroft is able to illustrate this universe quite deftly, if somewhat generically: the characters have enough substance to remain interesting and compelling, but are also elusive, relying on the quality of the cast to bring them to life, and breathe some uniqueness into them. In this particular case, Michael Keaton is the one who fares best, even if he doesn't have much screen time. Magnetic as always, he creates Frank Carter as someone who is very much in control, someone who has nothing to lose, but who remains attached to the actions he performed, and the person who uncovered him 30 years earlier. Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, and Adam Scott, are wonderful actors, but sadly the script doesn't give them much to do with roles that are underdeveloped and in Ms. Monaghan's case in particular, a bit muted. There's nothing necessarily wrong with this film/procedural: it has all the ingredients of a solid thriller, similar to the ones that fared so well in the 1990s, such as Gary Fleder's "Kiss the Girls", Lee Tamahori's "Along Came a Spider", or even David Fincher's "Seven", however it lacks a more unique point of view on the material, someone who can elevate and make the material something more visceral and memorable, as opposed to the rather generic output that it ends up being. The cast is solid, as is the production team, including the cinematography from Peter Deming (the long time collaborator of the late David Lynch), Colin Stetson's score, and Anastasia White's production design (the house rental is a highlight). It's watchable, adequate, but also quickly forgettable. 

The Lighthouse

Movie Name: The Lighthouse
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Robert Eggers
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson, Valeriia Karaman
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Following his auspicious feature directorial debut with "The Witch", writer/producer/director Robert Eggers returned with another stylish feature, this time revolving around a chamber piece featuring the performances of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. The film takes place in the late nineteenth century and follows two men, one older by the name of Thomas Wake, and one younger, by the name of Ephraim Winslow, who are assigned the job of lighthouse keepers during four weeks, in an area of New England. Thomas who is the supervisor, puts Ephraim through hard work, preventing him from accessing the lantern room in the lighthouse. Ephraim begins to hallucinate about sea monsters and mermaids. While having dinner Thomas reveals that his prior employee died after losing his mind, whereas Ephraim reveals that he was a former timberman from Maine, who is now embarking on a new trade. A brutal storm hits the island, and the two men spend that evening getting drunk. The storm prevents their replacements from coming in and also destroys their rations. While Ephraim thinks only a day has gone by, Thomas tells him that they have been stranded for weeks. As the storm continues to rage, the two men continue to drink, leading them to expose hidden secrets, and even question their sanity.

It's curious how some writer/directors are very much visual artists with a stylistic point of view, something that they apply with more largesse or finesse, depending on the story they're telling, while others become prisoners of that very specific point of view. Wes Anderson, for all his virtuosity and uniqueness, has become a prisoner of this world he has created, and while in some features his detailed point of view works remarkably well, such as "The Grand Budapest Hotel", his more recent endeavors feel progressively more trapped in this highly artificial construct in which his characters exist. Robert Eggers seems to be embarking on a journey somewhat similar to Mr. Anderson's. And while his recent "Nosferatu" displayed his ability to take Werner Herzog's 1970's version of that story to a much grander and far more stylized stage, "The Lighthouse" on the other hand, feels at times like an indulgent stage play that is going nowhere. It's undeniable there's much to admire about this film, particularly the performances of both leads, the production design, the cinematography, but the narrative itself eventually becomes a repetitive descent into madness and despair of two alcoholics that for all its good intentions and artistry, has already been captured, and far better, in other films. When someone thinks of descent into madness and isolation, one always thinks of the majestic "Apocalypse Now" by Francis Ford Coppola, one of the best films ever created, and one that truly depicts how war, guilt, isolation/deprivation, and mental instability, can lead to monstrous outcomes. Mr. Eggers attempts to create something lyrical with "The Lighthouse", with the watery metaphors and the mythical creatures hallucinations, while simultaneously peppering the narrative with violent streaks, sadly the combination of all these elements isn't the most graceful one, and the film ends up being very one-note, without a semblance of humor, and at some point, without a semblance of momentum (that third chapter where the audience eventually asks, "where is this going"). I found this film less rewarding than his other films, both prior and subsequent ones, something that even the phenomenal Willem Dafoe could not save. Robert Pattinson for all his good intentions, much like some of his collaborations with David Cronenberg, felt out of place, a bit like someone experimenting with a concept of a role, while not truly embodying it. The production team is excellent, including Jarin Blaschke's cinematography, Mark Korven's score, Craig Lathrop's production design, and Linda Muir's costume design. It's an interesting endeavor, but not necessarily a great experience.