---
title: "RIPLEY"
year: 2024
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/ripley"
fi1m_score: 80
critics_score: 72
critics_reviews: 18
published: "2026-09-17T14:33:17.634438+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-17T14:33:18.211815+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# RIPLEY (2024)

Created by Steven Zaillian · MPA TV-MA · Drama

**Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 72 from 18 reviews

*In a sentence:* Andrew Scott climbs every staircase in Italy looking guilty, and we were with him all the way

> Steven Zaillian’s eight-part Highsmith adaptation is slow, cold and shot in a black and white that makes Italy look like a crime scene. It is also superbly made, and Andrew Scott is frightening in it. Allow it its pace.

## Synopsis

New York, the early 1960s. Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) lives in a single rented room and makes his living posting letters from a debt collection agency that does not exist. A private detective tracks him down on behalf of Herbert Greenleaf (Kenneth Lonergan), a shipbuilder whose son has gone to Italy to paint and shows no sign of coming home. Greenleaf will pay Tom’s passage if Tom will fetch him. Tom sails, and finds Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) in Atrani, a village of steps on the Amalfi coast, sharing his days with Marge Sherwood (Dakota Fanning), an American writing a book about the place. Tom wants Dickie’s house, Dickie’s clothes and Dickie’s life. Marge sees it before anyone else does.

## Review

Steven Zaillian has taken Patricia Highsmith’s novel and turned it into eight episodes in black and white. It has been filmed before, by Anthony Minghella in 1999, with Matt Damon in a swimsuit and the Mediterranean doing half the work. Zaillian has gone the other way. There is no sun, no romance and almost no charm, and the result is the most exacting version we have seen. It is also slow enough that some people will give up in the second hour, and we understand them.

Andrew Scott’s Ripley is no boy. He is a tired man who has done this before, and Scott plays him through waiting: the pause before an answer, a beat longer than an honest man would need; the way he sets down a glass as if it might be used against him. His accent is flat and careful and never slips. He does not ask to be liked. When Tom tells Dickie he enjoys his company we did not believe him, and this story works better when we half do. It is the one place we would have taken a little of Minghella’s warmth.

Robert Elswit shoots Italy with the colour taken out and the contrast pushed hard. The blacks are deep enough to lose a man in and the whites of Atrani’s stone are hard on the eyes. Staircases are everywhere, filmed from above so that the people on them look like figures on a diagram. David Gropman gives Dickie a villa with a terrace and not much on the walls, and Rome a run of flats with lifts that never work. Maurizio Millenotti and Giovanni Casalnuovo put Tom in one brown jacket and a raincoat for the wrong climate, and Dickie in linen he has never had to think about. Zaillian keeps returning to Caravaggio, in churches and galleries, and since Caravaggio killed a man and ran, the point is not subtle.

Midway through the third episode the story takes the turn anyone who has read Highsmith will be waiting for, and we will not describe it. Zaillian gives what follows the best part of an hour with almost no dialogue, and it is the strongest stretch in the series. There is a sequence on a Roman staircase, mostly one man, a lift that will not oblige him and a cat watching from a landing, that we sat through with our hands half over our faces. When it ended we realised we had been holding our breath for someone we had no reason to wish well, and felt slightly grubby about it. Joshua Raymond Lee and David O. Rogers hold every shot past the point a nervous editor would cut, and the tension comes from that.

The trouble is the middle. Eight episodes is a great many for one man and one lie, and around the fifth we noticed the pattern: a police inspector arrives, asks the same three questions in a different order, and leaves; a letter is typed and read to us; a train is caught. By the sixth we looked at the clock. Johnny Flynn’s Dickie is written as a dull, weak, faintly decent man, true to the book and a problem on screen, because the early episodes need a pull between him and Tom and there is not much of one. Dakota Fanning’s Marge is sharper, dry and suspicious from her first scene, and the series is better whenever she is in it. Kenneth Lonergan, as Herbert Greenleaf, plays a father who has confused money for attention, and plays him well. Jeff Russo’s score is used sparingly; footsteps, water and a typewriter do most of the work, and that is the right decision.

Minghella wanted us to grieve. Zaillian wants us to watch a man work, and Highsmith, who liked her murderer more than anyone he met, would recognise this version.

Watch it at home in the dark, one episode at a time, and do not wait for it to speed up, because it has decided not to. It carries a 15 certificate, and it earned it on the stairs.

*Fi1m score 80, published 17 September 2026.*

### Reviews we read (18)

- **IndieWire**, Ben Travers (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Zaillian's black-and-white adaptation for its hypnotic storytelling and exquisite cinematography that shades the tale of a deplorable killer. Andrew Scott's striking performance pulls off its own 'talented' twist on the material. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/ripley-review-netflix-series-andrew-scott-1234969838/)
- **The AV Club**, Matt Schimkowitz (A-): The review calls it the best Talented Mr. Ripley adaptation yet, with Zaillian, Scott, and cinematographer Robert Elswit delivering a masterful, textured take faithful to Highsmith. Scott's quiet, unassuming terror as Ripley stands out amid striking black-and-white photography and purposeful direction. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/ripley-review-tv-netflix-steven-zaillian-andrew-scott-1851380208)
- **The Guardian**, Lucy Mangan (90/100, inferred): This scintillating noirish adaptation leaves the 1999 film in the shade, thanks to Andrew Scott's mesmerising performance as a wellspring of possibilities. The black-and-white photography is gorgeous, the slow pace builds exquisite tension, and the supporting cast is excellent. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/04/ripley-review-andrew-scott-is-absolutely-spellbinding)
- **Vulture** (90/100, inferred): The critic finds the remorseless, monochromatic series a deliciously mean adaptation anchored by Andrew Scott's phenomenal performance. It sneers at the upper class with complicated aims, immersive cinematography, and a mercurial spirit that rejects previous adaptations' moral framing. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/ripley-netflix-series-review-andrew-scott.html)
- **The i Paper**, Ed Power (85/100, inferred): The critic praises Andrew Scott’s twitchy, anxious and brilliant performance as a world-weary, ruthless Ripley in this bleakly dazzling black-and-white adaptation. Zaillian’s meditative direction and the stark Italian setting provide a perfect platform for Scott to embody the character he was born to play. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/ripley-review-andrew-scott-2988319)
- **The Times** (85/100, inferred): This monochrome adaptation is a stunning Hitchcockian work of art with stark perfectionism; the slow, hypnotic pace and Caravaggio-like use of light make it cinematic and compelling once the black-and-white style is accepted. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/ripley-netflix-review-this-monochrome-adaptation-is-a-hitchcockian-work-of-art-wfh9mfrzt)
- **Empire**, John Nugent (80/100, inferred): The critic highlights the series’ severe, stunning black-and-white cinematography and Andrew Scott’s cold-blooded, psychopathic Ripley as a fresh, darker take on the material. Zaillian’s ambitious, exquisitely crafted noir is rare on television despite its gloomy tone. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/ripley/)
- **Radio Times**, Lewis Knight (4/5): The critic calls it a gorgeous, unnerving slow-burn thriller that stretches suspense across eight episodes with stunning black-and-white visuals. Scott’s quietly venomous, scary Ripley and Fanning’s intelligent Marge stand out, though the lack of chemistry between Scott and Flynn is a minor downside. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/ripley-review-netflix-andrew-scott-gorgeous-adaptation-comment/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Daniel Fienberg (80/100, inferred): The critic calls it another strong adaptation with breathtaking black-and-white photography and a complex, unsteady Scott performance that blends fragility and cunning. Zaillian’s slower, methodical approach creates a rapturously pretty, propulsive descent into murky morality, frequently leavened by humor. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/ripley-review-andrew-scott-dakota-fanning-netflix-patricia-highsmith-1235865914/)
- **Evening Standard** (65/100, inferred): Andrew Scott is magnificent as Ripley with a flawless accent and top performance, but the rest of the cast falls short of the 1999 original and the series is gorgeous yet not as good overall. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/ripley-review-netflix-andrew-scott-johnny-flynn-b1147080.html)
- **The Independent** (40/100, inferred): The breathtaking black-and-white visuals and tense extended scenes are decent, but the series falters due to Andrew Scott feeling all wrong as an overt ghoul rather than a charming social climber, haunted by the 1999 film's cast. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/ripley-netflix-review-b2522801.html)
- **The Telegraph**, Anita Singh (2/5): Andrew Scott is great but the only smart decision; the brooding black-and-white series is dull and deadening compared to the sun-drenched 1999 film, with listless supporting performances. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2024/04/04/ripley-netflix-review-andrew-scott-johnny-flynn/)
- **Variety**, Aramide Tinubu (35/100, inferred): The critic finds the series aesthetically pleasing but narratively arduous, with an utterly charmless Scott as a grating, sociopathic grifter who lacks the seduction of prior versions. Overlong episodes and a lack of depth in the characters make it stilted and unengaging rather than enticing. [Read](https://variety.com/2024/tv/reviews/ripley-tv-review-netflix-series-1235957687/)
- **Collider**, Remus Noronha (90/100, inferred): The critic highlights Andrew Scott's nuanced, career-best performance and the stunning black-and-white cinematography drawing from Caravaggio and classic cinema. Some plot threads remain unresolved, but the series is near-perfect overall. [Read](https://collider.com/ripley-netflix-review/)
- **Consequence** (B+): The critic lauds the sumptuous black-and-white visuals and Andrew Scott's ideal casting as Ripley. The main flaw is the overly slow pacing that drags especially in the early episodes. [Read](https://consequence.net/2024/04/ripley-review-andrew-scott-netflix/)
- **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (7/10): The critic praises the stylish black-and-white cinematography and Andrew Scott's calculating, almost inhuman performance as Ripley. The story feels lopsided and runs out of steam after the central crimes, struggling to fill eight episodes. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1553420/ripley-review-andrew-scott-netflix/)
- **Den of Geek**, Rosie Fletcher (50/100, inferred): The review describes the noir adaptation as dark and stormy but not always in a good way, a dour slog over eight episodes despite strong performances. Scott's Ripley impresses as a murderous psychopath, though the series lacks fun and can feel like too much cat-and-mousing for those familiar with the story. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/ripley-review/)
- **Digital Spy**, Rebecca Cook (40/100, inferred): The critic argues the series fails to capture the magic of the 1999 film, with baffling stylistic choices like black-and-white and slow pacing that make it occasionally boring. Solid performances are undermined by the lack of color, escapism, and the seductive allure of prior adaptations. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a60383620/ripley-netflix-series-review/)

## Details

- **Created by:** Steven Zaillian
- **Creator:** Steven Zaillian
- **Director:** Steven Zaillian
- **Writer:** Steven Zaillian
- **Novel:** Patricia Highsmith
- **Cinematography:** Robert Elswit
- **Editor:** Joshua Raymond Lee, David O. Rogers
- **Music:** Jeff Russo
- **Production design:** David Gropman
- **Costume design:** Giovanni Casalnuovo, Maurizio Millenotti
- **Producer:** Enzo Sisti, Andrew Scott
- **Cast:** Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley; Dakota Fanning as Marge Sherwood; Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf; Kenneth Lonergan as Herbert Greenleaf; Simona Senzacqua as Mrs. De Silva; Bruno Crucitti as Chiropracter; Bill Connington as Man with Hat; Pernell Walker as SRO Clerk
- **Certificate (MPA):** TV-MA
- **Release (the US):** 4 April 2024
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ri2biYLeaI

## Where to watch in the US

- Netflix: streaming

*Checked 2026-09-17.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Purple Noon* (1960): The first Ripley on film, with Alain Delon far too handsome to be trusted.
- *The Talented Mr. Ripley* (1999), Fi1m 80: Minghella’s version, all sun and grief, for those who missed the warmth here. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-talented-mr-ripley.md)
- *The American Friend* (1977): Wenders takes a later Highsmith Ripley to Hamburg and lets Dennis Hopper loose.
- *The Servant* (1963): Dirk Bogarde moves into a rich man’s house and quietly takes it over.
- *The Third Man* (1949), Fi1m 92: Black and white, a European city at night, and a friend who is not what he seemed. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-third-man.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/ripley