Following the release of the celebrated limited series Ripley, there are several other “Ripley” adaptations in both television and film. The most popular of the Ripley adaptations is likely The Talented Mr. Ripley, a 1999 film starring Matt Damon as the titular protagonist. The film was nominated for 5 Academy Awards and featured an ensemble cast of Jude Law, Gwenyth Paltrow, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Cate Blanchett. Despite being the most popular adaptation and earning several Oscar nominations, the 1999 film is surprisingly far from being the greatest “Ripley” adaptation ever made.
Netflix’s Ripley is written and directed by Academy Award winner Steven Zallian, who is famous for writing classics such as Schindler’s List, The Irishman, and more. Ripley has received rave reviews from critics upon its April 4, 2024 release and features a great Ripley cast led by Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning, and Johnny Flynn. The overall tone of the Ripley series is much more dark and broody than some of the other adaptations, while the 1999 film has more of an innocent and fun-loving air about it in general. The Talented Mr. Ripley is the first of 5 novels in the “Ripley” book series written by acclaimed author Patricia Highsmith.
Ripley Under Ground is a 2005 crime thriller directed by Roger Spottiswoode, who is known for his work on The 6th Day (2000) and Shoot to Kill (1988). It’s an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s second novel of her “Ripley” book series and is the only film adaptation of the second novel. Ripley Under Ground was published in 1970, some fifteen years after The Talented Mr. Ripley was published in 1955. The book takes place in the summer of 1968 and sees Tom living a settled-down life in France, married to a prominent French heiress named Héloïse Plisson. Acclaimed actor Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan) stars as Tom and the film also features performances from Willem Dafoe and Tom Wilkenson.
Ripley Under Ground does not have an official Rotten Tomatoes score but has an abysmal 37% audience score on the site. Robert Koehler of Variety wrote in his review, “Although it strives to push Patricia Highsmith’s best-known bad man in a snarky direction, “Ripley Under Ground” is too fidgety and unsure to settle on a sustained tone and ends up in a no man’s land between hysterical satire and sleek Euro thriller.” The consensus among common viewers alludes to the fact that the film is very narratively different from the 1970 Highsmith novel and while Pepper is an exceptional actor, he may not exactly fit the part of the original Tom too well as Highsmith had written him.
Ripley’s Game features the incomparable John Malkovich in the titular role, which is an exciting pull into the 2002 crime thriller. While the film did receive a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, Ripley’s Game is not as celebrated among audiences, earning just a 67% audience score on the site. Ripley’s Game is an adaptation of the third book of Highmsith’s “Ripley” series and is the second feature film adaptation. Malkovich leads an outstanding cast that also includes Lena Headey, Dougray Scott, and Ray Winstone, who plays Reeves Minot in the film. Malkovich notably plays Reeves Minot in Netflix’s 2024 television adaptation of Ripley.
The strongest part of Ripley’s Game is undoubtedly seeing Malkovich portray Tom Ripley. Some critics, however, take issue with the lack of control over the storytelling and the decisions made by the director Lilana Cavani. Dave Gianni of InSession Film wrote, “It is mostly mediocre fare. There are wasted quality actors, drifting plotting, and less than impressive directorial choices. But any movie with Malkovich in a lead role is not likely to be completely forgettable.” Critics mostly agree on the talents of Malkovich in the role, making Ripley’s Game a worthwhile watch for that reason alone.
The Talented Mr. Ripley is the most popular “Ripley” adaptation but it is surprisingly not the best. Matt Damon does a great job at capturing the youthful energy of the character while hinting at the underlying unsettling characteristics of Tom, while Jude Law is a rollercoaster of lavish fun and charisma as Dickie Greenleaf. The Talented Mr. Ripley and Ripley tell the same story but in very different ways. While The Talented Mr. Ripley includes more of the gay innuendos that are written into Highsmith’s novels, it actually creates a number of additional characters that were not in the original book.
The 5 Oscar nominations for The Talented Mr. Ripley certainly place it in a category above the rest, especially considering the range of talent it has with its extraordinary cast. The film has maintained its impressive 85% Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes over the last 25 years while also earning an 80% audience score on the sight. The cinematography of The Talented Mr. Ripley takes note of the beautiful Italian coastal scenery, while the direction of Anthony Minghella makes sure to capture the authentic sights and sounds of the communities in which the film takes place.
Critics mostly agree about the impressive and enjoyable quality of the 1999 film adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley. Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly wrote in her review, “The Talented Mr. Ripley” slithers along with great elegance and purpose for most of Ripley’s reign, stumbling only at the end when Minghella trips on the limitations imposed by his own updated psychoanalysis.” The myriad updates that The Talented Mr. Ripley added to the original Highsmith novel act both as an enchanter and a detracter depending on the context. The additional characters offer great performances but the film essentially invents its own ending.
Wim Wenders is one of the best working filmmakers alive, famous for his visual masterpieces such as Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire. His 1977 movie The American Friend is actually an adaptation of Ripley’s Game, the first ever put to screen as a feature film. Like the 2002 adaptation starring John Malkovich, the story follows Tom Ripley, who is deep in an art forgery scheme and is tasked with finding a good candidate to perform a hit on the Italian mafia. The film stars acclaimed actor Dennis Hopper (Easy Rider, Blue Velvet) as the iconic Tom Ripley and also features a stellar performance from the celebrated Swiss Bruno Ganz.
The 1977 Ripley’s Game adaptation has an 88% Rotten Tomatoes score and an 80% audience score, making it one of the most critically acclaimed films of the franchise. The best part of The American Friend is undoubtedly the acting duo of Hopper and Ganz led by the masterful direction of Wenders. Roger Ebert wrote in his review of the film, “There’s something cheerfully perverse about filming a thriller and then tossing out the parts that would help it make sense, but Wim Wenders has a certain success with the method.” Wenders’ ability to add a new spin on the classic thriller genre in his unique narrative and visual style makes The American Friend one of the greatest Ripley adaptations ever made.
Steven Zallian’s adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley is the only one to be filmed in monochrome, which heavily aligns with the dark themes of the story. The tone of Ripley could not be more opposite to that of The Talented Mr. Ripley, as there are so many thematic and narrative differences that they don’t really feel like they’re based on the same novel. Andrew Scott is chillingly exceptional in the role of Tom Ripley, offering the most insidious and monstrous interpretation of the character ever put to screen. The level of suspense that Zaillian was able to translate from Highsmith’s novel to his Netflix adaptation makes it incredibly faithful to the source material.
Netflix’s Ripley is shot in stunning black and white throughout the entire 8-part series. It is also the longest singular examination of the Tom Ripley character in any adaptation ever made, making for a completely fascinating and unsettling viewing experience. Zaillian, who wrote and directed every episode, demonstrated a true mastery of the Ripley character and was able to stretch a relatively concise story into an epic over 8 hours in length due to his effective use of suspense and tension throughout. While Ripley is certainly the darkest adaptation ever made, it offers a riveting and disturbing take on the character unlike any previous Ripley adaptation made before it.
Despite the impressive new addition of Zaillian and Netflix’s Ripley, the greatest and most iconic version of Tom Ripley remains to be the first rendition of the character on film. Just five years after the publication of Highsmith’s original novel, Purple Noon became the feature film debut of the Tom Ripley protagonist. The film is considered a masterpiece by many critics, earning an impressive 95% on Rotten Tomatoes alongside a 92% audience score. The star of the show is without question Alain Delon, who plays the charismatic Tom Ripley with an allure that’s missing from many of the other installments. Purple Noon is loosely based on the first of the Ripley novels but is still the greatest adaptation because of the captivating Delon and expert filmmaking by René Clément.