Netflix’s Ripley isn’t just another adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley—it’s a deliberate and striking reinvention. Written and directed by Stephen Zaillian (Schindler’s List), this eight-part series strips away the sun-drenched glamour of Anthony Minghella’s 1999 film and replaces it with a stark, noir-infused nightmare, presented in evocative black and white.
Andrew Scott (Fleabag, Black Mirror) stars as Tom Ripley, a small-time con man who is neither an unfortunate opportunist nor a tragic figure—he’s a predator from the start. Where previous versions painted Tom as an outsider who stumbles into a life of deception, this one presents him as a calculated schemer, comfortable in the art of manipulation long before his fateful trip to Italy. Scott’s performance is mesmerizing, his dark eyes—rendered inky and unreadable by Robert Elswit’s (There Will Be Blood) meticulous cinematography—hinting at a void where a conscience should be.
Shot in crisp black and white, the series draws from classic film noir and Italian cinema alike, with compositions so meticulously framed they feel almost sculpted from light and shadow. If the 1999 Talented Mr. Ripley recalled Hitchcock’s Technicolor thrillers, Ripley leans more toward Psycho—unforgiving, stark, and methodical. The visual choice is no gimmick; rather, it strips the story of distraction, forcing the viewer to focus on shape, contrast, and movement. A brutal murder sequence, which in color would be drenched in red, instead gains weight from the unsettling slackness of a body tumbling down the stairs—an act made more disturbing by what we don’t see.
Zaillian takes his time stretching out the tension, sometimes to the breaking point. At over eight hours, this Ripley may feel slow for some, but patient viewers will find themselves absorbed by the series’ precision and icy elegance. Every frame is deliberate, every movement choreographed with unsettling grace. Ripley isn’t just a psychological thriller—it’s an artfully constructed descent into darkness.
A bold, stylish take on a well-worn tale. Not for those who prefer their thrillers fast-paced, but for fans of noir, Hitchcock, and slow-burning tension, Ripley is an exquisitely executed character study.
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