RIPLEY
Starring: Andrew Scott, Johnny Flynn, Dakota Fanning, and Maurizio Lombardi
Creator: Steven Zaillian
QUENTIN
Although I admit there are things I very much respect about Ripley, including the beautiful black & white cinematography, score, and classically vintage feel, I ultimately think that the series is too long and too artsy for its own good. So many episodes are filled with long stretches completely absent of dialogue, and there are a surprising number of sequences that are of Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) simply walking alone on narrow Italian streets and stairways. Maybe having seen 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley made this miniseries far less engaging, especially as it delivers the same story in roughly triple the (slow-paced) runtime, but hard yawn.
AMARÚ
Andrew Scott is one of the most enigmatic actors working today, but not even his charming cadence can save Ripley from being an absolute bore. As I sat there watching people talk in black & white, I felt like I was waiting in a roller-coaster line, being forced to watch those stylized explainer stories five times before finally getting on. However, the resulting thrill ride never came. None of Scott’s machinations, whether verbal or violent, were enough to get me to care about what was happening. I’d much rather watch The Equalizer 3 again if I want a slow-burn Italian-based thriller.
PAIGE
It should come as no surprise that Andrew Scott has a superb grasp of Ripley's cold, cunning, and menacing demeanor, but there is something off about this adaptation. The unpleasant charm that characterized Matt Damon's portrayal of the character in the 1999 film is absent from Scott. Don't get me wrong…this limited series is a visually stunning black-and-white noir thriller; however, appearances can be deceiving because the narrative lacks an endearing story despite having lots of mood and style. Regretfully, Ripley lacks the excitement of a thriller, and is a slow paced, hollow series.
