Why Ripley Is the Best Thing Streaming Right Now
2024-08-28 · 5 min read
Netflix Ripley, an eight-episode adaptation of Patricia Highsmith 1955 novel, reimagines the story in stunning black-and-white cinematography that transforms 1960s Italy into a noir dreamscape. Andrew Scott Tom Ripley is colder, more deliberate, and more terrifyingly composed than previous screen versions.
Director Steven Zaillian shoots every frame like a photograph. The black-and-white palette turns Rome, Atrani, and Venice into stark compositions of light and shadow that mirror Ripley internal landscape.
Scott Ripley is stripped of the charm that Matt Damon brought to the 1999 film. This version is calculating, emotionally vacant, and almost alien in his ability to observe and mimic human warmth without possessing it.
The pacing is deliberately slow. Each episode unfolds at the pace of a man who has freed himself from moral constraint. Scenes linger on empty rooms and architectural details. The tension builds through the creeping realization of what he is capable of.
Supporting performances from Dakota Fanning and Johnny Flynn provide the warmth and humanity that Ripley lacks.
Stream on Netflix at https://www.netflix.com/title/81578483.
Ripley is essential for anyone who values television as a visual art form. It is slow, cold, and gorgeous, a noir thriller that prioritizes atmosphere over action and rewards patience with some of the most beautiful images in recent television.
