Ripley

Quite conflicted on how to feel about this series as a whole, but for the most part I thought this was truly sublime. Once the whole story starts to get going, it really finds its footing. Ripley is scheming, conniving and manipulative and Scott plays him perfectly.

What the show allows for is a proper methodical exploration of Ripley’s methods and psyche when he’s grifting and committing his atrocities. He’s a complete psychopath and it’s wildly fascinating to watch. It’s far from the other versions of this character, his stripped of his emotions and is fully immersed in his ambition to become this successful person. It’s interesting as well how they’d damped his queer characterisation to someone who is so deeply repressed, his queerness has manifested as hatred towards others who express any for of queer.

Issues really arise before any of this kicks off, in its characterisation of Ripley and Dickie when they first meet. Ripley is just so creepy, it’s far from the charismatic portrayal of Damon’s. Not that this had to be a carbon copy of that portrayal, it’s far better it’s not, but it doesn’t really make sense for how the story gets into motion.

Since he’s this creepy man, it’s not really clear why Dickie wants to hang out with him, sure he manages to weasel his way into his life but it’s not as compelling. It’s certainly not as compelling due to Dickie being a completely bland character as well, he’s so void of any charisma, nothing like Law’s portrayal. Marge is perhaps the only character who has been set up properly but her curiosity and hatred of Ripley is slowly snuffed and she becomes a poor portrayal when compared to Paltrow’s.

It’s odd cause how the story is set up is quite irritating as it just feels lifeless and completely false but once it gets past this, it really works.

It’s hard not to draw comparisons between this and the iconic film, and when you do this it’s evident how lifeless this show is. It’s missing the vibrancy and beauty of that film, and while I adore the cinematography of the show, I feel like the black and white cinematography really strips why Ripley is falling in love with this life. It does create this atmosphere of blandness which is fascinating like Ripley is never going to be satisfied with the life he’s managed to get. It’s still gorgeous but perhaps beautiful and not entirely visually helping what’s on screen.

It’s has flaws but I mean I really enjoyed it once it got going, it’s completely different from the film and that’s far more interesting. We get to spend a whole episode of Ripley having to go through the tedious process of covering up what he did and it’s wildly satisfying. We get long stretches with no lines and we’re just watching Ripley live out his plans, it’s truly wonderful. It’s perhaps lacking the charisma and personality that the film has