Enjoying this quite a bit. It's better than the (decent) film, and beautifully shot in black and white. But it's definitely a slow burn crime thriller. There aren't too many shows like this where the main character is the antagonist, with no redeeming qualities.
Both the movie and this show are based off a series of novels written by Patricia Highsmith back in the 50s. It's good stuff. While the Damon/Jude Law movie was very good, this adaptation is more faithful to the spirit of the original books. The Ripley character is supposed to be more obviously slimy/creepy than the charming version that Damon played.
Andrew Scott nailed it, the Italian detective was my second favorite actor/character. Loved the noir atmosphere and cinematography, but I'm a sucker for that genre. They set it up perfectly for a sequel series, I hope it happens.
Great series. It makes you root for Ripley despite him being a sociopath because of how hard he has to work to succeed.
my only gripe is Spoiler despite being a missing person, Ravini did not have any urgency to find out what Tom Ripley looked like or for a photograph. An obvious question to ask Marge or Ripley himself (posing as Dickey), which would have given away Ripley's entire con. Ripley would have known this as well, yet operated as if that wasn't a concern. The wig as a successful disguise was also pretty weak, but plausible I suppose.
the Italian detective asked for, and received, passport from whom he thought was American Expat Dicke (impersonated by Ripley) and Ripley as himself, with facial hair and a wig, in his new dig (interntionally darken by the con man) in Vencie, my gripe, why did marge send her newly published book, written in English, that has a photo of the real Dickie to detective Ravini, whose English is limited. i can see her sending her new book to Ripley, if she has his new address, or Dickie's family in NY, not the Italian detective Ravini
dickie's dad and his hired private detective traveled to Italy to intervew with Ripley and Marge.to get details on Dickie why didn't he try to get in touch with the Italian detective to get more details on the Freddie miles murder case, with Dickie as the suspect it could be that the Itlaian detective's English is limited