The scammer narrative always remains relevant, and for some reason there’s been a massive influx of Self-Aware-Classist-Vacation-Thrillers in the last two years be it The Menu, Triangle of Sadness, Glass Onion, Infinity Pool etc. Unfortunately, last year we witnessed Emerald Fennell single-handedly imparting a fatal dent to the scammer narrative through her pretty-looking film Saltburn. However, approximately four months after Saltburn’s US release, Netflix’s Ripley is finally here with an actually compelling tale of a nihilistic conman with an exquisite velvety black-and-white cinematography.
Based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, this psychological thriller series might not be a one-to-one adaptation of the novel. The story remains same for the most part but it’s the fresh execution that—despite so many other adaptions across different mediums over the years—seals the deal and makes this one stand on its own. Just to revise the basics, the series follows an enigmatic and charming conman Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) who gets hired by a rich man to convince his son Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) to return to New York from Italy.
Written and Directed by Academy Award-nominated Steven Zaillian (The Irishman) and lensed by cinematographer Robert Elswit, also known for his many collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson, Ripley’s episodic format gives ample space for the narrative to breathe and impart a much needed intimacy.
Fans of the novel and Anthony Minghella’s famous 1999 film might find some disparity in casting in terms of the actors’ age, but once people cross that bridge they’ll see for themselves the solid performances these actors have to offer. Andrew Scott is almost as perfect as one could go for Tom Ripley. He slips into the archetype of his character seamlessly and combines his natural charm, channelling his creepiness and menace in such a way that the combined effect leaves a lasting impression on our minds. Johnny Flynn’s rendition of Richard Greenleaf is more vulnerable and less mensch than that of Jude Law. We are allowed to see the interiority of his psyche and understand the shortcomings and warmth of the being that resides beneath the surface.
Dakota Fanning as Marge has a very strong screen presence, just the look of her eyes is enough to sustain the anti-chemistry with the insouciant Tom throughout the series. Maurizio Lombardi’s entry as Inspector Ravini in the latter half of the show helps to establish an intense game of cat-and-mouse, there’s a sweetness with which he enunciates his words in English. There are some guest appearances throughout the show, I won’t spoil them, but if you’re someone who consumes quality television then be ready to savour two of the three cameos.
Roy Orbison’s song In Dreams, paves the way for us to enter the world Ripley resides in. The Tom we meet is already in the conning business and when the opportunity knocks on his door he goes with the full intention of ripping the amenities of Dickie. His passion for a lifestyle of sophistication, affluence and performing deceit of any level—by confessing to the little truth in order to strengthen the lie—to achieve the same is felt with more weight here. There are light doses of surrealism whenever we are allowed into the headspace of dreaming Tom.
We see the enervation of this conniving psychopath when an entire episode is spent with him cleaning up the mess he makes. The show in this way is more process oriented, sometimes the same can make the episode feel a bit prolonged. Despite the realism this show goes for, it demands a considerable amount of suspension of disbelief, particularly one odd interaction towards the end.
The sound design for the show is incredible. There are lots of overlapping noises and sounds in the background that makes the location feel alive and happening. Even the sound of a simple elevator becomes a source of dread for Tom.
The cinematography deserves all the praises, Elswit achieves a high contrast film noir look for the series. Every shot is so carefully composed, the locations so beautifully captured, without acquiescing to a travelogue the viewer strongly feels and believes in the world the characters resides in. There’s a running gag throughout the show about Atrani, as Ravini puts it, “beautiful place but too many stairs…”.
All the episodes are written and directed by Steven Zaillian, the singular vision showcases the ambition of the director and helps to maintain the required cohesion, aesthetics and immersion. With the number of detective shows on the rise this year, Ripley arrives as a breath of fresh air.
While Netflix is notorious for axing their quality shows, Ripley probably wouldn’t have seen the light of day if it wasn’t acquired by them. However, with such an intense amount of mediocre shows the aforementioned streaming platform releases everyday, it probably would get submerged and ultimately buried under the humongous “library of content” without reaching its target audience, make sure you check it out before that happens.
Ripley is directed and written by Steven Zaillian. The series stars Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning, Johnny Flynn and Maurizio Lombardi. Ripley is now streaming on Netflix. All images used are courtesy of Netflix.
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