Black-and-White Noir Reimagines Ripley as Netflix’s 8-part thriller miniseries, a near-perfect binge
A familiar story reframed
Patricia Highsmith introduced Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley, then continued the character’s story in several sequels. The role has also appeared in multiple screen versions, including the Oscar-nominated 1999 film starring Matt Damon.
Netflix’s eight-episode miniseries brings Andrew Scott to the role, with Steve Zaillian as creator. Rather than simply repeat the story, the series reshapes it as a twisting noir.
Searching for Dickie in Italy
Wealthy businessman Herbert Greenleaf, played by Kenneth Lonergan, hires Ripley to locate his missing son, Dickie. Johnny Flynn plays Dickie, who is in Italy with his girlfriend, Marge Sherwood, played by Dakota Fanning.
The series contrasts with Anthony Minghella’s lush European setting in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Its black-and-white images and subdued mood focus instead on expatriates’ disenchantment.
Older characters, darker ambitions
Zaillian’s adaptation makes the characters almost two decades older than they are in Highsmith’s novel. Their faded ambitions and lack of achievement give the story’s escape from responsibility a darker edge.
Dickie appears to have turned away from family obligations, but the series presents him as unhappy, much like his father. Flynn’s portrayal is notably different from Jude Law’s Oscar-nominated performance: this Dickie is depicted as lacking charisma and apparent artistic ability, despite pretentious conversations with his friend Freddie, played by Eliot Sumner.
An absorbing noir experience
The series has room to develop details that some earlier versions left unexplored. Ripley’s wish to replace Dickie also becomes more complex against the changed portrayal of both men.
Its atmospheric approach and eight-episode length make the familiar tale feel newly shaped. The account describes it as an engrossing noir that is difficult to stop watching before the end.
Key points
- Andrew Scott stars as Tom Ripley in Netflix’s eight-episode miniseries, created by Steve Zaillian.
- The black-and-white drama gives Highsmith’s familiar story a moody noir setting in Italy.
- The characters are almost two decades older than in the novel, with faded ambitions shaping the adaptation.
- The series differs from the 1999 film starring Matt Damon and the performance by Jude Law.