Critics are calling Netflix's 'Ripley' a stunning Hitchcockian thriller. But like its criminal anti-hero, it ends up overstaying its welcome.
- Netflix's "Ripley" offers up a fresh take on Patricia Highsmith's famous chameleon-like conman.
- The show, which premiered Thursday, has gotten mostly positive reviews from critics.
Netflix's "Ripley" has arrived. The eight-episode series premiered Thursday on Netflix and is a fresh take on Patricia Highsmith's chameleon-like conman, who the world was first introduced to in her 1955 novel, "The Talented Mr. Ripley."
Audiences are likely to be familiar with the overall plot of the series, which has been written and directed by Steven Zaillian, best known as the writer behind "The Irishman," "Schindler's List," and "Moneyball."
Like Anthony Minghella's 1999 sun-dappled adaptation, which starred Matt Damon in the central role, and the French take on the story "Purple Noon" released in 1960, "Ripley" follows the titular grifter (Andrew Scott) as he ingratiates himself into the life of two wealthy Americans living la dolce vita on a never-ending vacation in Italy.
Critics have praised the series, citing its striking film noir visuals and compelling cast performances. But for some, the pacing of the show is an issue; the slow, almost languid nature of the episodes (the longest of which clocks in at 76 minutes) means it's not necessarily one you could — or should — sit down and binge in one go.
Here's a rundown of what reviews for "Ripley" have been saying.
The series is a slow-burn thriller that might not work for everyone.
As many critics have pointed out, "Ripley" indulges in every minute of its almost eight-hour run time. It may take a few episodes to engross audience members, but it's well worth the ride.
The Financial Times' Dan Einav noted that the series "takes its time to establish each location with a scene-setting collage of images," pointing out "wonderful details like the liver-spotted hand of a bus driver shifting gear to climb up towards Dickie's village and the bubbles of champagne in Ripley's glass as he acclimatises to a new life."
"The careful mapping of Tom's every move, whether in furtherance of his deceit or the covering up of his crimes, allows the tension to mount exquisitely," Lucy Mangan wrote for The Guardian.
"This kind of meticulous artistry deserves equally attentive viewing," Lena Wilson argued for IGN, adding: "Despite streaming in full on Netflix, 'Ripley' works best when watched in moderation."
However, Aramide Tinubu, writing for Variety, disagreed, arguing that "the episodes are painfully overlong and full of dead space."
"'Ripley' unfolds too slowly — as the trail of events attracts the attention of an Italian detective (Maurizio Lombardi) — while creating the risk that some people will bail out before the series reaches the good stuff," CNN's critic Brian Lowry stated.
Andrew Scott offers a mesmeric take on a familiar character — despite being much older.
In her review of the series for BBC, Caryn James wrote that Andrew Scott "brings a hum of sinister energy to the role of Tom Ripley."
The New York Times's Mike Hale said the Irish actor "does a meticulous job of portraying Ripley's transition from shifty timidity to insolent confidence, from lost boy to aesthete, through subtle shifts of expression and posture."
"Charismatic and scary in equal measure, Scott has never been better, and he's aided in his exceptional cause by Zaillian, whose writing is razor-sharp and his direction just as assured," the Daily Beast's Nick Schager said in his review.
But, as Daniel Fienberg wrote in his review for The Hollywood Reporter, Scott is "too old" to play the fledgling sociopath.
"It's one thing for Tom Ripley to be an unformed if still protean grifter at 21 or 22, but another thing still to be scraping by without an identity at 35," he argued.
The monochrome palette of the series adds to the unsettling atmosphere.
Zaillian, along with Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit — known for his frequent collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson, including "There Will Be Blood" and "Magnolia" — has shot the series in crisp, moody black-and-white, a decision that many reviewers praised.
"In an era where huge TV budgets often equate to cheap-looking visuals, Ripley is staggeringly, starkly beautiful," John Nugent wrote for Empire.
Cary Darling, writing for The Houston Chronicle, said that Elswit's monochrome palette is "almost a character of its own, one that throws the story into a sharp, film-noir relief."
Writing for Collider, Remus Noronha stated: "Every shot in 'Ripley' is perfectly composed, worthy of being showcased in a gallery as high art."
Don’t expect similarities to Matt Damon's "The Talented Mr. Ripley."
Ultimately, "Ripley" feels like it has been cut from an entirely different cloth to that of the 1999 film version of "The Talented Mr. Ripley," which is the best-known adaptation. Most reviewers agree that distinction is a good thing.
"The story may revolve around imitation, but 'Ripley' is a show determined to do its own thing," Einav wrote in his review for the Financial Times.
"'The Talented Mr. Ripley' has often been adapted in a way that felt sweaty, hot, and impassioned — this one is ice cold, drained of color and most human emotion. The choice really serves the reading of Ripley as an amoral creature, someone who doesn't cross boundaries of right and wrong as much as he never even considers them," reads the RogerEbert.com critic Brian Tallerico's review of the series.
Instead, it appears to be interested in older cinematic references.
As many reviewers pointed out, Zaillian's main point of reference for the series may have been the work of Alfred Hitchcock, the filmmaker best known for "Psycho," "The Birds," and "Strangers on a Train" (the last of which was adapted from another of Highsmith's novels).
"'Ripley' plays as if it were a Hitchcock series Hitchcock never made," reads the BBC review.
Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall called it "a masterpiece of Hitchcock-style suspense."
All eight episodes of "Ripley" are now streaming on Netflix.
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