It isn’t as lean as it could be (there are prolonged lulls in Rome and Venice; an overblown diversion about Caravaggio), but what a sublime character study for Scott, what luscious photography, what prestige cat-and-mouse storytelling. It’s a triumph.
With those who find it initially slow, or the relentless monochrome beauty slightly exhausting or pretentious, I understand entirely. But stick with it; allow yourself to yield to both and let Ripley seduce you. There is magic at work here.
Black and white might make “Ripley” seem colder from the outside, but it’s actually just more cinematically immersive, plunging you uncomfortably close to a psyche that feels unnervingly unstable. And Scott is a true tour de force of a disheartened character, so superficially cool and assured on the surface, it’s all just a performance, on top of a performance trying to mask the things underneath that are almost too much to bear.
If it’s not an instant classic like the Damon version, it’s much closer to one than it has any business being, and it’s among the most exciting shows of the year so far.
“Ripley” will likely be too slow for Netflix viewers looking for something with more tension, but it is a stunningly well-made piece of television with a pedigree behind the camera that rivals great feature filmmaking. And it impressively stands on its own, hitting many of the beats of the original book and its adaptations but doing so in a way that feels fresh enough to send a chill down your spine.
When the credits roll, there’s still a lot we don’t know about Tom and his past, made particularly frustrating by the fact that you can’t really trust anything the character says in the show. But those things are easily forgivable, as Ripley’s gorgeous visuals and immaculate acting make those flaws seem irrelevant. This isn’t just one of the best Highsmith adaptations ever; Ripley is easily one of the best shows Netflix has ever done.
Individual episodes can be slow, almost languid, and are often heavy with long stretches of dialogue and silent sequences of voyeuristic pursuit. But the pacing works overall because Ripley nails moments of violent catharsis that puncture the prevailing tension, and because it’s simultaneously so wickedly funny.
It’s hard to imagine a Ripley more engaged with its characters or source material than what Zaillian has put together here. Ripley is as close as one can come to really knowing Tom Ripley.
The finest thing TV has offered in many years.
Newcomers to the story can anticipate a feast for the eyes and ears led by Andrew Scott, who sells his antihero well, even if the script meanders from Tom Ripley far more than the novel. On a craft level, Ripley is peerless – easily the most beautiful TV show of the last five years. Watch it in spaced-out installments to get the most bang for your buck, and if you haven’t read the novel yet, read it after, not before.
The story has already been adapted for the screen, but the visuals in this one are a true work of art and an orgasm for the eyes; I’ll definitely be adding it to my all-time recommendations list.
A mesmerising and charming cinematic style, which only suffers slightly from the expressive ambiguity of the characters in a deliberate attempt to create suspense.
Had a good start but ruined itself with terrible casting. By the second episode you’ll understand what I mean. Very unrealistic for the time period.
Most Netflix drama is very mediocre and formulaic. But Ripley is something else. For me easily the best and most original production they've ever done.
How severely overhyped this show is, how vapid the fans are for rating such a terrible slow story highly because of the visuals. I got a migraine from the amount of times I rolled my eyes at Tom's moronic behaviour, the absolute lack of chemistry between the actors,the incredible slow time wasting shots of the environment, the plot holes, and the Team Rocket esqueisguise Tom uses to fool a grown inspector. The ridiculous writing should be criticised, this show doesn't deserve the love it gets, the director should be contributing to art galleries, not the film industry. Revolting reflection on the fanbase that such terrible writing can be rated so highly. Lord help us all.
Style over substance. Very beautiful, artistically, but generally poor adaptation. The cast is meh, the direction is all over the place. The characters reactions are always bizarre. Tom & **** have zero chemistry, and no one can convince me **** would allow Tom to share his home for months. Ripley, who is a master of manipulation and strategic planning in the books, is acting like a moron in half the cases in the series.
Beautiful and well done, with quirky characters and real suspense. It takes it's time, but does not lose one's interest. I genuinely didn't know where it was going in the 2nd half. Well researched and amazing visuals throughout. Some of the scenes in the middle episodes were exhausting to watch - in a good way. Well worth your time
Esta buena, si te remonta a esa época en Italia. Yo vi la pelicula y no hay mucho de diferencia en cuanto a la trama.
Slow and Fast Black and White Thriller I love the chase Some movies and some women all about the chase
This series starts as a questionable character (Andrew Scott) is hired by a rich man to bring his wandering son home from Italy. Once there, he gets a taste of the luxe casual lifestyle and decides to dig in. This show's first impression is the lovely locations that are shot in gorgeous black and white. The visuals are continually stunning. Meanwhile, Scott creates a character that's quietly sullen and subtly evil. The direction and editing are at a deliberate pace that details every action with plenty of observational time. Some may find this methodical approach too slow, but the show's dark style is what makes it most appealing.
Excellent performances. Even though we know the story, we end up being surprised by the events. Black and white made the difference in this version. The story update was perfect.
Accurate depiction of Italy, still contemporary: mostly everyone is slow including the system which doesn't work and mostly everyone is an incompetent. Regarding the book, it's about a creep and it's just trash material itself, better on the screen.
Best series of the year so far. Andrew Scott deserves an Emmy for this. On-location photography is next level. This is what happens when Netflix lets talented people cook without imposing its ugly industrial aesthetic.d
Continually dark and ominous, this low-key crime thriller evokes both film noir and European new-wave tropes. Shot stunningly in lustrous b&w, it prides a visual feast for film lovers to savor.
Stunnning. Beautiful. Engaging. Andrew Scott is amazing, but also everything else. Cinematography is art, with Hitchcock vibes, And all in B/W. Recommended.
Finally, a show takes its viewers seriously. No real expository dialogue, or as less as possible - maybe when other characters are trying to solve what has happened, but not the main character. Most of Ripley's intentions and actions are subtext. You don't end up with unanswered questions. It's fun to pace a story and the development of characters around subtext. And let's not forget about the breathtaking visuals.
This is not Patricia Highsmith's Ripley: a complicated young man with relatable humanity and conflict - someone we actually can care about. This is a reductive version, a dark psychopath with only jealousy and greed driving him. I don't know why anyone would bother with this, after Minghella's faithful and captivating movie triumph. I suppose it was tempting to give it a "noir" treatment. And Andrew Scott pulled it off as well as any actor could have. But it's so much more than that. Highsmith has always been underrated, and this only adds to it, bypassing the truly literary nature of her work. The result here is plot-driven, repetitive, less engaging, and too long. By the end, I just wanted it to wrap up and be over.
La mejor serie en lo que va del año 2024 con comodidad. Candidata a mejor serie del año sindudas. Exelente fotografía y adaptaciónde guió.
Watch the Film Instead! Great cinematography and solid acting can't save this admirable effort from the all-consuming grasp of the DEI and ESG censorship committee. If you have shares in Netflix you're probably all onboard for the political agenda that's pretty much infecting most of Hollywood nowadays - 2 stars
One of the best shows of the decade. The best adaptation ever made of Patricia Highsmith’s work. Andrew Scott’s performance is stupendous: a Ripley with a sick level of psychopathy and tension like never before seen. Flynn and Fanning’s performances are on point. Everything is containment to the point of explosion. Nothing is given away for free to the viewer. The photography is a masterpiece: noir cinema, German expressionism, and Italian realism combined in just measure. Each take seems to have been made from a patient and talented work. The plot develops without haste, which makes this series not a product for the hurried or anxious assistant. It is necessary to give time for the development of the characters - just that, this slow cooking of a show, already makes it something extraordinary, against the rushed pace at which everything is done for TV today.
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