Ripley Review

There’s something about Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel “The Talented Mr. Ripley” that makes it catnip to writers and directors looking for an engaging story with almost fantastical acts of murder, intrigue, and emotional manipulation to adapt to the screen. In fact, two versions have made it to film – Plein soleil in 1960 and the star-studded The Talented Mr. Ripley in 1999. But this most recent adaptation – an eight-episode miniseries (although there’s absolutely room to expand on the story and delve into Highsmith’s other Ripley novels should writer/director Steven Zaillian, Netflix, and star Andrew Scott decide on it) for Netflix – offers a decidedly different take on the tale of a conman who decides to adopt the money and power of his “friend” while spending time with him in Italy.

The first thing one notices about Ripley is that it’s been filmed in black and white. An interesting choice – and one that works incredibly well, emphasizing the shadows of the world Tom Ripley (a subdued Scott, letting his facial expressions and physicality do a lot of the work in drawing us into the psyche of this complex man) creates throughout his time in Italy. Blood, a dark black sludge when it appears, seems more sinister than a sharp splash of red would indicate. The visuals feel Hitchcockian in their depth, a shadow hiding the darkness that lurks within even the most seemingly docile of people.

The second is that this time around, we aren’t dealing with a “talented” Mr. Ripley. This isn’t a version of Tom Ripley who can skate through life without consequences once things start to get, well, violent, in his pursuit of power, money, and prestige. Rather, this Ripley is one who is calculating, yes, but who tends to miss key details when he’s working out how to best extricate himself from whatever corner he has backed himself into. It makes for some incredibly suspenseful moments (episodes three and five, in particular, had me on the edge of my seat – and also had me yelling at the screen for Tom to be less careless in his actions). But this less polished Ripley is more human. And far less likeable. It’s a curious trick of writing, direction, and performance. This is our central character, someone who believes himself to be better than the lazy rich folks he finds himself enmeshed with on his quest to pull Richard “Dickie” Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn, who never makes Dickie sympathetic, although there are enough moments that one wonders just who this man would be without the trappings of wealth surrounding him) out of the life of leisure in Italy and back home to work in the family business with his father. One of the things I found the most enjoyable about the series was that I was never truly able to pin Ripley down. Why he does what he does is laid out – although there’s less of a homoerotic overtone to his relationship with Dickie this time around – but how he acts following his damning actions is much more an act of self-preservation than anything else. This isn’t a polished killer. This is a man who knows what he has to do to get what he wants but can’t quite stomach the aftermath.

All of that makes Ripley quite the interesting series. The performances are very reserved – no Gatsby-like “Old chaps!” here. Everyone is sizing each other up left and right, with very few easy relationships in the mix. Paranoia is the name of the game. Marge (Dakota Fanning in a very buttoned up performance), Dickie’s partner, and Freddie (a charming and biting Eliot Sumner)’s dislike and distrust of Ripley oozes from their pores, but neither character lets loose with these feelings until the narrative needs it to come out. Dickie is guarded with Ripley, but you get the sense that he wishes his old acquaintance might be in their relationship for some reason other than money. And then there’s Tom himself, trying to be a chameleon and blend into this world he desperately wants to be a part of while wrestling with jealously at the thought of never being truly accepted with the ease of those around him. It’s a chess board of a series, with each piece moving only after determining that it’s truly safe for them to do so – and even then, enough missteps occur to knock a piece or two out of the game entirely.

The psychological thriller aspect of this story is on full display in Ripley, and it’s all the more enticing for it. This isn’t a story about a charismatic conman who makes a splash in Italy. Rather, it’s the story of a marginal at best conman who weasels his way into the life of Dickie Greenleaf, using it as a springboard into the life he has coveted for years – albeit with some major roadblocks to shatter while on the way up. This Ripley isn’t a smooth operator. Rather, he’s clawing for what he wants without the necessary skill set to truly win at this game without some incredible luck on his side. And it’s a hell of a ride to see if he can make it out unscathed at the other end of things.

Ripley is streaming on Netflix.