When you’ve got Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan, Hamish Linklater in your movie—not to mention a surprise appearance from a cultural icon, which we won’t spoil here—you’ve got the textbook definition of a “stacked cast.”

“I think everyone saw an opportunity to, in some cases, flex some muscles that they don’t often get a chance to do in film work,” said The Whisper Man director James Ashcroft in a recent interview with Decider. “In terms of being a director, what a dream come true.”

This new Netflix original crime thriller, which began streaming today, was adapted by screenwriters Ben Jacoby and Chase Palmer, from Alex North’s 2019 bestselling novel of the same name. Adam Scott stars as Tom Kennedy, a crime novelist whose detective skills are put to the test when his son, Jake (Acston Luca Porto), is abducted. When details from the crime echo that of a serial killer who was locked up by Tom’s estranged father—a retired cop played by Robert De Niro—father and son must put aside their grievances to work together.

It was that father-son theme, Ashcroft said, that got two-time Oscar-winner De Niro on board with the project, followed by the rest of the A-list cast. “Everyone was intrigued by this same proposition that I was,” Ashcroft explained. “Fathers and sons—how this is a story that shows the best of what that can be, as well as the worst of what it can be.”

Ashcroft—a New Zealand director best known for his 2024 psychological horror film The Rule of Jenny Pen— spoke to Decider about adapting the novel, assembling his cast, and that surprise face behind the serial killer. Spoilers ahead!

Tell me how this project first came to you. The Russos and AGBO were already attached to produce by then, right?

Yeah, they approached me with the script. Coincidentally, I got the script when I was camping with my family, and my wife had actually bought me the book for Christmas, to read as our camping book. I took that as a good sign. It was also interesting to read the book and the script simultaneously—to chart the decisions that Ben Jacoby, our first screenwriter, had taken. Then the script developed from there. The book and script really grabbed my attention because of that father and son theme that runs through. Chase Palmer and Ben Jacoby did a really great job of adapting the novel.

How is that first script different from what you end up with? What changes were made to the book for the film adaptation?

The main challenge with a novel adaptation is always condensing, and getting to the thrust of it. Even though the script changed incrementally over time, we were guided by that North Star that Alex’s novel set in front of us—this theme of fathers and sons, the complexity of that, and the duality of that. Even though certain things fell away from the novel that didn’t speak to that specifically, I still felt very clear and honest about that intention. I think people who are familiar with the novel—even though everyone has their opinion reading a book, you see the film in your head—I think they’ll feel that it’s a very thoughtful and honest adaptation.

You’ve assembled an incredible cast here, Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan and a few surprises. Can you tell me about the casting process?

We went out to Bob first. Once he came on board, that set everything in motion. But the thing that I was really thrilled about was that everyone—once they read it, and you met with them to discuss coming on board with the project—everyone was on the same page, even though they’re all actors who have very different processes and are known for different types of projects. I think everyone was intrigued by this same proposition that I was, which was the nuance and the delicacy of exploring what it means, fathers and sons, and how this is a story that shows the best of what that can be, as well as the worst of what it can be. I think that everyone also saw an opportunity to, in some cases, flex some muscles that they don’t often get a chance to do in film work. It was a very surprising cast that we ended up with, but in terms of being a director, what a dream come true.

With a cast like this, it feels like the film should be in theaters, not just Netflix. Was that ever a possibility?

We knew the home that it was being built for. Of course we are all children of the cinema, absolutely. I am, definitely. But there were certain things [about going to Netflix] that really appealed—the audience that this would go to, the uptake of the kind of genre film that this is, and the audience that would appeal to. We definitely shot it in a cinematic way. Peter Deming, our wonderful cinematographer. But at the end of the day, what we loved about working with Netflix was that they were so behind the project in every way and the vision for it. We were well looked after.

Talk about filming on location in New Jersey, and capturing the moody vibe of the movie.

I’d never experienced New Jersey before, it was my first time! I really loved getting to know New Jersey as a state. Logistically, some days it could be quite a tough ask, because we really were jumping all around the place in New Jersey. But I love shooting on location. We shot some amazing stuff on set, as well in the studio. But I think the locations, particularly Tom’s house—that in particular was like a museum. The house was well over 100 years old, and had its own history and idiosyncrasy. So it felt like another character. The owner [of that house] had a very, very rich history.

[Warning: The rest of this interview gets into spoilers. Stop reading now if you haven’t finished the film!]

I loved those sequences with Michael Keaton and Robert De Niro like sitting across from each other in the prison. Keaton seems like he’s having so much fun. Can you tell me about filming that, and how you directed Michael Keaton to play this Anthony Hopkins-esque serial killer?

We had a very limited amount of time for those scenes, but there was definitely a real sense of expectation in terms of seeing Bob and and and Michael going toe-to-toe. When you’re working with people like Bob and Michael—and indeed Michelle and Adam—you want to you want to provide them with the best possible parameters for them to operate with, and then get out of their way.

I could have just kept on re-filming those scenes again and again, because every time we did it, there were subtle differences and new things that were being explored. You can imagine with Bob and Michael, the potential to go on and on. There was a real sense that the crew was more like an audience, which was really great for the actors. Michael’s a fabulous actor, he’s an icon, but he’s also an incredibly generous, empathetic human being.That’s much more interesting when you play a role like he does in this—a character like Frank Carter casts a long shadow over the film. Yet when you meet him, he’s not exactly what you’re expecting. I think that’s more terrifying and unsettling.

I loved the Frank Cater glasses, that really added a lot for me. Was that costuming choice from you, from the costume designer, or from Michael himself?

That was Michael’s decision. He had quite a strong instinct for these types of glasses that these guys have. I don’t know if he’d seen something in some of his research. It was really that simple. You give him that pair of glasses, and he lets that inform so much about what he does. Really transformative.

The big climactic sequence with Owen Teague chasing Jake around was scary. Can you tell me about filming that, and especially working with a young actor on such an emotionally and physically intense scene?

Well, look, you’d probably think we were making a comedy if you’d been on set, because there was so much laughter! It was a very happy set. Acston [Luca Porto, who plays Jake] is a complete pro. He’s only 10 years old, but he could go toe-to-toe with all of the cast. He was one of those performers who could go there straight away, and then turn it off. I think that [scene] was probably the most fun couple of days he had on set, running around like that, doing all the stunts. It’s a film that takes a lot of conversations, so I think everyone was enjoying [filming] one of the core scenes, where we get to do a bit of action and have some thrills.

The end of the movie implies that this was maybe a supernatural story all along. What’s your interpretation—is a ghost story, or is it all in Jake’s head?

I definitely view the end revelation as the presence and the spirit of [Jake’s] mother has been there the whole time, influencing and guiding events toward this moment of healing—for all of them, not just her son.

We were very conscious of, whenever we employ the use of the imaginary friend, it’s got to work—The question is, ‘Is this a supernatural, other being, or is this a manifestation of psychosis for the young boy?’ We were really trying to walk that line—the tension of that question—so that it could always be a question for the audience. The revelation at the end, we were so passionate about, because it’s about healing. That’s very heartfelt. It’s a male-driven film, the themes being father and son. So we love that this presence of the mother was there so much in the background, in the foreground, moving through the film.