RIPLEY

The very first on-screen adaptation depicting Tom Ripley was literally named ‘Purple Noon,’ which was a creative choice to contrast the romanticism of the Italian riviera with Tom’s gruesome yet methodical crimes. That clever juxtaposition is obviously lost when creating a mini-series of the same story with black-and-white cinematography; a choice that originally turned me off the series. Despite my initial reluctance, I gave the series a chance, and ultimately realised the stylistic decision was a brilliant one. Andrew Scott’s Ripley is far more psychotic, with something hidden beneath the eyes. As his web of lies become more complicated, so too do the complexities in Scott’s performance. The murders aren’t romanticised either, if one is committed during an episode, the remaining runtime will be dedicated to Ripley cleaning up the mess. To some that may sound boring, but the mini-series has a miraculous way of sucking you into the narrative even without dialogue or many music cues. Although everything was in their favour considering the riveting source material, I think it’s safe to say Netflix got this one right. The many different representations of Thomas Ripley’s story continue to fascinate and enthral.