Netflix’s Ripley has landed on the streaming service, with critics praising the small-screen adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 crime novel.
Oscar-winning screenwriter Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List) wrote and directed the latest film adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley, following in the footsteps of the 1999 film starring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow.
With a noir version, compared to the sumptuous visuals of the Hollywood film, critics have compared the Netflix version to Hitchcock in style and pacing.
Christopher Stephens of the Daily Mail writes: “This isn’t just television, it’s a tribute to the great directors of the 1940s, like Carol Reed and Alfred Hitchcock.”
Netflix’s Ripley has landed on the streaming service, with critics praising the small-screen adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 crime novel.
The star-studded cast also includes Dakota Fanning, who plays Marge Sherwood, and Johnny Flynn as Dickie.
Meanwhile, Andrew Scott’s central performance has captivated early viewers, with the Scottish actor being called “riveting”.
Lucy Mangan by The Guardian writes in his five-star review that “Scott’s Tom is everything and nothing, and fascinating either way,” adding, “There’s magic at work here.”
But IndependentAdam White insists that Scott, who also serves as executive producer, “feels bad about this” and is comparable to an EastEnders baddie, looking “more like a lost Mitchell brother than a high-society interloper.”
Set in the 1960s, Ripley is hired by a wealthy New Yorker to travel to Italy and convince his wayward son Dickie (played by Johnny Flynn) to return home.
Tom delves into the luxurious world of the elite before resorting to deception and murder in a desperate attempt to keep his place at the table.
John Malkovich, who previously played the title role in the 2002 film Ripley’s Game, returns to the world of Tom Ripley in a wildly different role, while the star-studded cast also includes Dakota Fanning, who plays Marge Sherwood, an American who lives in Italy and who begins to suspect Tom’s motives.
While Scott was praised, some critics felt the supporting cast fell short with Evening StandardAnna Van Praagh decides that Dakota Fanning ‘can’t compete for a second with Gwyneth Paltrow’s impeccable Marge Sherwood, and Johnny Flynn is left dead on the side of the road compared to Jude Law’s portrayal of Dickie Greenleaf, a character who He lived perfectly. .’
However, Zaillian’s images have left critics in awe of Carol Midgely’s The times noting that “it is so cinematic that it feels less like a television series and more like a very long movie”, declaring it “a completely hypnotic experience”.
Andrew Scott’s central performance has captivated early viewers, with the Scottish actor being called “fascinating”.
While praise has been given to Scott, some critics felt the supporting cast fell short when Anna Van Praagh of Evening Standard decided that Dakota Fanning “can’t compete for a second with Gwyneth’s Paltrow.”
The soap has been filmed before, most famously in 1999 with Matt Damon as Tom Ripley and a supporting cast that included Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Philip Seymour Hoffman. In the photo: Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow in the adaptation.
However, Zaillian’s images have left critics in awe, with Carol Midgely of The Times noting that “it is so cinematic that it feels less like a television series and more like a very long film.”
Scott has called Ripley “an important role to play,” and told her vanity fair that “it was very difficult for him mentally and physically.” That’s the truth”.
“I feel like you have to love and defend your characters, and your job is to say, ‘Why? What is that?” You don’t play with opinions, previous attitudes that people may have about Tom Ripley.
“You have to dismiss all of that, try not to listen to them and say, ‘Okay, well, I have to have the courage to create our own version and my own understanding of the character.'”
Ripley is now available for Steam on Netflix.