There’s no denying the legend status of Robert De Niro; he is still one of the first names given when asked for one of the greatest actors of all time.

His career has seen him drift into more comical roles of late – such as Dirty Grandpa and The Fockers trilogy – which many of his die-hard fans haven’t enjoyed, but they can breathe a little easier in his latest: a dark, detective thriller.

Arriving in a small town in New Jersey are Tom Kennedy (Adam Scott) and his young son Jake (Acston Luca Porto). They making a fresh start, of sorts, after the death of Tom’s wife; they’re moving into her old town however, perhaps in a way of staying connected to her, which also includes Jake going to the same school as she did.

As fresh starts go however, it doesn’t go well, with Tom having to chase someone out of their new home. And it only gets worse.

With their possessions still in boxes in the large, rented house, Jake is soon abducted. With Detective Amanda Beck (Michelle Monaghan) put on the case, it’s soon discovered that his abduction fits a pattern of a notorious serial killer, Frank Carter (Michael Keaton) AKA the Whisper Man, but he’s been in prison for decades now.

To try and get a handle on the case, Beck approaches the detective who caught him, Pete Willis (De Niro); he’s reluctant to get involved though, having been retired for over 25 years now, but his mind is changed when he learns that he’s more personally involved than he realises.

There’s something compelling about this latest Netflix original feature; perhaps it’s the fact that James Ashcroft’s film is similar in dark tone to not only David Fincher’s film Se7en, but also the excellent, short-lived series Mindhunter that he was heavily involved with.

It’s based on the 2019 novel of the same name, the first to be written by Leeds writer Steve Mosby under his nom de plume Alex North; it made an early impression on the Russo brothers who optioned to buy the rights to it a year before it was published, which is how they’re the producers of this film.

It’s a slow-burner, possibly too slow in places, but the Kiwi director does his best to keep the intrigue bubbling on the surface. He’s helped greatly by his cast, with De Niro superb as the ex-detective, but also strong turns by Scott and Monaghan, as well as a welcome chilling turn by Keaton. The only qualm would be is that there really isn’t enough of De Niro, but you have to commend him playing an integral role in this ensemble, as opposed to dominating it.

Perhaps where it loses its way is with some unbelievable coincidences, with the first and most obvious being the house they move into; not only does it play a big part in the new serial killer case, but it just so happens to find its new residents quickly involved in it.

Then you have the relationships between De Niro’s character with the Whisper Man, as well as the connections with his estranged son. It’s all too creatively incestuous, that doesn’t just push the line of believability, but brazenly tip-toes over it.

If you can look past its flaws, or they just pass you by, Ashcraft’s Fincher-esque feature is a brave one, which he almost pulls off, although nowhere near on the same level.

There’s enough going on however to keep you gripped, as well as restore your faith in De Niro, who still clearly has his dramatic acting chops finely tuned, making him a name to still shout about.