James Ashcroft’s “The Whisper Man”
Movie review by Dennis D. McDonald
A recently widowed father moves into a large old rental house, hoping to start a new life with his 8 year old son. His son is kidnapped. This event spirals into a complex and seemingly coincidental sequence of events involving the author’s estranged father (a retired police detective), a detective already on the trail of a string of child disappearances, a collector of memorabilia about serial murderers, and an imprisoned killer long ago caught by the author’s father.
How these events all fit together is gradually revealed. It’s all a bit convoluted and far-fetched, but I enjoyed the ride. The characters are well played, the action well edited, and the many scenes occurring in low light conditions are clear and well illuminated.
This is one of those mysteries, though, where people enter rooms at night to explore by flashlight without first bothering to turn on the room lights.
That quibble aside, it’s a decent ride and an almost pleasant throwback to a time when movies about serial killers were all the rage.
Review copyright © 2026 by Dennis D. McDonald
