What we flagged
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Our take
A child goes missing in this grim crime thriller. It shows child bodies, bloody injuries and a brief but graphic suicide. The story also implies sexual abuse of kidnapped children, without showing the abuse. Strong language and long stretches of dread make this a hard watch even for some older teens
Uplifting themes
A broken father and son try to protect a child together, although the overall tone stays grim
Story (may spoil tone)
When his young son vanishes, a widower enlists help from his estranged father, a retired detective who put away the serial killer now linked to the case.
What we flagged
Details
Violence Stabbings, a brutal fight, assaults and discussion of past murders appe…
Stabbings, a brutal fight, assaults and discussion of past murders appear; one man is badly hurt, and a prison scene shows a father attacking his son
Language Language includes the f-word, s-word, motherf-word, b-word and c-word i…
Language includes the f-word, s-word, motherf-word, b-word and c-word in arguments, police work and father-son fights
Sex / nudity A crude masturbation reference is heard
A crude masturbation reference is heard
Drugs / alcohol Adults drink and someone smells of alcohol; a tense scene mentions fent…
Adults drink and someone smells of alcohol; a tense scene mentions fentanyl, and a father's past drinking is part of his history
Frightening A child's disappearance, a creepy playground rhyme, late-night whispers…
A child's disappearance, a creepy playground rhyme, late-night whispers and tapes of a captive boy sustain high dread. A dead and decayed body of a child was shown multiple times
Self-harm / suicide A man stabs himself in the neck while speaking with police. The moment…
A man stabs himself in the neck while speaking with police. The moment is brief but bloody
Sexual violence The story implies that kidnapped children were sexually abused. The abu…
The story implies that kidnapped children were sexually abused. The abuse is discussed or implied, not shown in detail
Child peril / abuse An eight-year-old boy is kidnapped, and missing children, captivity and…
An eight-year-old boy is kidnapped, and missing children, captivity and killers who target kids drive the entire film. Dead bodies and skeletons of children are shown in multiple scenes
Gore / death / weapons Bloody stabbings, a screwdriver wound and bodies found in grim hiding p…
Bloody stabbings, a screwdriver wound and bodies found in grim hiding places appear, with some graphic injury detail
Mental health Guilt, obsession and old trauma weigh on the adults, with fractured fam…
Guilt, obsession and old trauma weigh on the adults, with fractured family ties under the crime story
Grief / bereavement A father raises his son after the mother's death, and that loss shapes…
A father raises his son after the mother's death, and that loss shapes the family at the centre of the case
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
Family watch notes
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Talk after watching
- The story is about fathers and sons. What does a child need from a parent after a loss?
- A missing child is the whole plot. How did that sit with you?
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The Whisper Man
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