Andrew Scott fans won't want to miss Netflix's Ripley, an eight-part TV adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel "The Talented Mr Ripley, which is now streaming.
The project has been in the works for a few years, yet in early 2023 news broke about it being acquired by the streaming giant. Ripley was first commissioned by Showtime back in 2019, and there was near-constant buzz around the show leading up to its release.
The show follows Scott as Tom Ripley, a grifter barely scraping by in 1960s New York City whose fortune takes a turn when a wealthy industrialist hires Ripley to bring his wayward son back home from Italy.
Those who've seen Anthony Minghella's BAFTA-winning 1999 film The Talented Mr Ripley, which starred Jude Law, Matt Damon, and Gwyneth Paltrow will be familiar with the tale, yet Scott and writer/director Steven Zaillian (who won an Oscar for his Schindler’s List screenplay) are set to breathe new life into the story.
"When you’re playing those famous literary characters, you don’t want to just copy," Scott told Interview magazine. "I’m interested in the idea of what queerness is, and otherness because that’s what I think it’s about. The reason he’s such an interesting character is you can’t quite place him.
"If Tom Ripley was in a gay bar, I’m not sure that he would fit in there. Nor do I think he’s a straight character. I think he’s a queer character, in the sense that he’s very other. What’s his relationship with sex, or death, or with family or friends? It’s interesting that a character is the sum of the parts that you don’t have to play."
Here's everything you need to know about Ripley.
Ripley release date and how to watch
Ripley is now available to stream exclusively in full on Netflix. All eight episodes arrived in one go on Thursday, April 4, 2024.
Already streamed Ripley? Don't forget to check out our guide to the best Netflix shows we think you should be streaming right now.
Ripley trailer
The official Ripley trailer arrived in March 2024, and gave us a taste of what we could expect from this new take on the classic criminal tale. Check it out below:
We've also kept the teaser (released back in January) embedded below, too, if you want to revisit it.
Is Ripley shot in black and white?
The eight-part series is indeed presented in monochrome. "The edition of the Ripley book I had on my desk had an evocative black-and-white photograph on the cover," said writer and director, Steven Zallian. "As I was writing, I held that image in my mind. Black and white fits this story—and it's gorgeous."
Ripley plot - what happens in the Netflix show?
Netflix's Ripley synopsis reads: "Tom Ripley, a grifter scraping by in early 1960s New York, is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to try to convince his vagabond son to return home. Tom's acceptance of the job is the first step into a complex life of deceit, fraud and murder."
Ripley episode guide
Below, we've included both Netflix's short episode summaries, as well as links out to each of our Ripley recaps.
- Ripley episode 1, "I am a Hard Man to Find": Tom Ripley's life of petty crime in New York City detours with an offer to bring a wealthy man's wayward son home from Europe.
- Ripley episode 2, "Seven Mercies": On Italy's Amalfi Coast, Tom settles into Dickie's grand villa, but not without arousing suspicion from his girlfriend, Marge.
- Ripley episode 3, "Sommerso": With funds low and his future in Italy in jeopardy, Tom puts a dark scheme into motion.
- Ripley episode 4, "La Dolce Vita": Tom must deal with Marge's deep skepticism before embarking on a new, fictitious life in Rome.
- Ripley episode 5, "Lucio": Ensconced in a lovely Rome apartment, Tom's perfect life is threatened by the arrival of an unexpected visitor.
- Ripley episode 6, "Some Heavy Instrument": A ghastly discovery leads Rome police to Tom's doorstep, beginning a game of cat and mouse with its lead investigator.
- Ripley episode 7, "Macabre Entertainment": As Inspector Ravini expands his murder investigation, an elusive Tom plots his next moves from Sicily.
- Ripley episode 8, "Narcissus": Tom reinvents himself again, creating an enviable life in Venice — as long as his lies hold.
Ripley cast
Andrew Scott, who played Moriarty in the hit BBC series Sherlock, starred opposite Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Fleabag and has also appeared in His Dark Materials, stars in the lead role, yet there is plenty of other talent on the show.
Johnny Flynn (David Bowie in the rock biopic Stardust and Mr. Knightley in Emma, opposite Anya Taylor-Joy) stars as Dickie Greenleaf, while Dakota Fanning (Oceans 8, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) plays Marge Sherwood, an American living in Italy who suspects darker motives underlie Tom’s affability.
Meanwhile, actor and musician Eliot Sumner (No Time To Die) also has a recurring role as a friend of Dickie's who becomes suspicious of Tom. Acclaimed Italian actors Maurizio Lombardi and Margherita Buy also have roles in the drama, while Hollywood star John Malkovich completes the cast.
How many seasons will Ripley be?
The series is based on Patricia Highsmith's bestselling 1955 novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley, the first of five Ripley novels.
In 2022, Showtime boss Gary Levine confirmed Steve Zaillian had optioned all five books. "His original intent has been one book per season," he told The Hollywood Reporter.
If the series is popular enough for Netflix, that could mean we're looking at a total of five seasons, if the streamer follows through with Zaillian's original vision for the show.
Andrew Scott on Ripley
"We're going to attempt to do a few of the Patricia Highsmith novels, who in many people's minds, is the greatest crime writer of all time," he told Red Carpet News TV. "We're going to shoot it in Italy and America and it's an extraordinary character. I'm just thinking about how I'm going to put my own stamp on it.
"It's been adapted by Steve Zaillian, who as we all know is a bit of a genius, so I'm very excited to work with him. Johnny Flynn is playing Dickie Greenleaf and he's an actor who works a lot in the theatre, so I'm also excited to work with him. We've also got some very exciting people who are going to be in it with us.
"I'm really excited to just flip it around. We're going to do eight hours of television, so it's a whole new breaking down of the character."
