Ripley – Netflix Series Review

RIPLEY on Netflix is a 2024 miniseries about Tom Ripley. A character created by author Patricia Highsmith. This version is in black and white, which makes for a dark and fascinating tale. Read our full Ripley miniseries review here!

RIPLEY (2024) is a new Netflix miniseries starring Andrew Scott in the title role of Tom Ripley. The character created by author Patricia Highsmith has already been the core subject of several productions. Most notable to many is most likely Anthony Minghella’s 1999 movie The Talented Mr. Ripley.

This 2024 miniseries version has eight episodes and Andrew Scott is perfect in the title role. How he can switch from having kind eyes to the most cold stare is fascinating. We’ve watched all eight episodes of the Netflix miniseries and loved it.

Continue reading our Ripley miniseries review below. Find all episodes on Netflix from April 4, 2024.

Are you ready for this Tom Ripley?

Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) is a fraud and a grifter. There can be no two ways about that. He is making a living in early 1960s New York by lying and stealing in all the elegant ways he can think of. When he is suddenly hired by a wealthy man, his luck seems to change.

The man wants him to travel to Italy and find his son, Richard “Dickie” Greenleaf. This is his only son and Dad is ready for him to grow up and come home. Tom accepts this quest to try and convince Dickie to come home. Mostly for the money and the adventure, but he has no idea just how crazy his life will become.

Of course, anyone who has read Patricia Highsmith’s novels or watched a previous adaption will know. Tom Ripley will end up involved with murder, assuming Dickie’s identity, and involved with even more advanced forms of fraud. Efficient methods, but also a life where he is constantly looking over his shoulder.

Andrew Scott is magical

Andrew Scott is magical as Tom Ripley. Then again, I’ve always liked him, so I didn’t expect anything less. I just wasn’t sure if he would work for me in this role, but he did. He really did. Also, we get Dakota Fanning as Marge Sherwood, who is the girlfriend of Dickie Greenleaf who is played by Johnny Flynn.

These three characters were portrayed by Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jude Law as Tom, Marge, and Dickie respectively in The Talented Mr. Ripley. While you’ll recognize the characters, these are very different versions of them. Interesting and fascinating new versions, mind you.

Another important character, Freddie Miles, is portrayed by Eliot Sumner. While I liked the way Eliot Sumner portrayed the character, the casting wasn’t perfect for me. Maybe I’m just too hung up on the Philip Seymour Hoffman version from the 1999 movie.

Also, John Malkovich plays a smaller role towards the end. As he has also portrayed the character of Tom Ripley previously, this was a nice touch. John Malkovich played the character in the 2002 movie Ripley’s Game which focused on another Ripley story than the one at the heart of this movie.

Dark and sinister take on a familiar story

I rewatched The Talented Mr. Ripley in preparation for this 2024 Netflix miniseries. It almost made this miniseries version seem even more dark and sinister. Forget all about the gorgeous shots of Italy in the summer.

In this version, the decision to shoot entirely in black and white (with just one exception in a single shot halfway through) is brilliant. While I missed the gorgeous scenery, the black and white meant a lot more focus on shadow and light. Not least for the characters in this story.

Adapting Patricia Highsmith’s story into a miniseries also makes for a deeper and darker look at the world of Tom Ripley. While he is very much a fraud and a grifter, he is also a character you end up rooting for in some ways.

Especially as it becomes apparent that everyone around him is the same in many ways – they’re just wealthy!

Watch the 2024 Ripley miniseries on Netflix

Ripley in this new Netflix miniseries version was written, directed, and executive produced by Academy Award winner Steve Zaillian (The Irishman, The Night Of). As the writer and director of all eight episodes, Steve Zaillian has created something intense and dark that made me root for the title character.

Obviously, Tom Ripley is no hero. He is not the good guy and he does murder people to save his own hide. And yet, the further this story went, the more obvious it was that he wasn’t that different from anyone else.

The big difference between Tom and the people around him was that he didn’t have a rich family to turn to when things went bad. I’m oversimplifying, obviously, but it did make me acknowledge that his reaction is largely due to consequences that none of his “friends” ever had to worry about.

As always, the story of Tom Ripley is a fascinating crime, thriller, and mystery. I ended up enjoying this miniseries much more than I ever expected. It is very much slow-burn at times.

Think David Fincher’s 2023 Netflix movie The Killer starring Michael Fassbender in the title role. That’s a solid reference for the style of this miniseries. Not least in terms of having the audience (at least partially) root for someone who is not the hero.

The Ripley miniseries premieres on Netflix on April 4, 2024

Details

Creator: Steven Zaillian
Director: Steven Zaillian
Writer: Steven Zaillian
Cast: Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning, Johnny Flynn, Eliot Sumner, Maurizio Lombardi, Margherita Buy, John Malkovich, Kenneth Lonergan, Ann Cusack