Ripley on Netflix

[Anonymous]

I’m one of the very few people who has read each and every one of the Ripley novels. I also loved the movie, even though it took very different turns from the book. So I was thrilled to see there was going to be this series…

Unwatchable. 100% unwatchable. Long, slow, boring, no need for the black and white, miscast, wrong tone, trying to shoehorn in diversity in a way that serves absolutely no one and does nothing for the plot. It’s a no. So disappointed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I liked the dark humor scattered throughout, especially when Freddie is in the apartment. Loved the John Malkovich cameo. The black and white filming was a nod to Hitchcock imo and the lead’s performance grew on me and became believable.

I lost interest in the final episode and felt it was too long, but it does wrap up in a humorous way.

Op here.

Yes, Malkovich was a gem! And I enjoyed the humor throughout—the cat, the boat, Tom’s interactions with Marge.

The ending was predictable (including Marge’s gift to the detective).

I think I might have loved it more had it been in color.

I honestly think they went with black and white to hide everyone’s age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the very few people who has read each and every one of the Ripley novels. I also loved the movie, even though it took very different turns from the book. So I was thrilled to see there was going to be this series…

Unwatchable. 100% unwatchable. Long, slow, boring, no need for the black and white, miscast, wrong tone, trying to shoehorn in diversity in a way that serves absolutely no one and does nothing for the plot. It’s a no. So disappointed.

The diversity was a big bizarre misstep.

Zero chance Dickie and Marge would pal around with a non-binary gal who dresses like a man. Zero chance that character would exist anywhere IRL as a Brit in Italy in the 1960s. (Talk about a nepo-baby…it’s Sting’s kid and they were given a role that just didn’t make sense).

And what are the odds of a successful private eye catering to white people domestically and abroad who is black?

Tokenism. Distracting, unrealistic tokenism.

[Anonymous]

Here to add on the wtf was a non binary character needed? I love slow burns but this was a hollow mess. DH and I stopped watching

[Anonymous]

I also thought black and white was an odd choice given that the Amalfi Coast is renowned for its colors, but the cinematography is just breath-taking and pure art.

I also thought Andrew Scott is too old for the part, but I love him so much so I'm suspending disbelief.

I also was surprised by a non-binary actor in the role of Freddie (who can ever replace Phillip Seymour Hoffman), but are we acting like non-binary is something this generation invented? That some people didn't live who they were in the 60s? Ever heard of Berlin in the 30s?

I also thought it was too slow when it didn't need to be in places. But I couldn't stop watching and finished it all today.

I hope that they make the next book in the series.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also thought black and white was an odd choice given that the Amalfi Coast is renowned for its colors, but the cinematography is just breath-taking and pure art.

I also thought Andrew Scott is too old for the part, but I love him so much so I'm suspending disbelief.

I also was surprised by a non-binary actor in the role of Freddie (who can ever replace Phillip Seymour Hoffman), but are we acting like non-binary is something this generation invented? That some people didn't live who they were in the 60s? Ever heard of Berlin in the 30s?

I also thought it was too slow when it didn't need to be in places. But I couldn't stop watching and finished it all today.

I hope that they make the next book in the series.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman was so so good in the movie. RIP. So sad he died so young.

And no not buying there were openly non-binary people in the 60’s who went to exclusive prep schools and are friends with a person like Dickie and Marge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the very few people who has read each and every one of the Ripley novels. I also loved the movie, even though it took very different turns from the book. So I was thrilled to see there was going to be this series…

Unwatchable. 100% unwatchable. Long, slow, boring, no need for the black and white, miscast, wrong tone, trying to shoehorn in diversity in a way that serves absolutely no one and does nothing for the plot. It’s a no. So disappointed.

I doubt that. But if it makes the narcissist feel special to say it, go ahead.

[Anonymous]

Boy the characters sure got a workout between all those stairs in the fishing town and the elevator being broken all the time.

I felt like a lot of the acting (especially Dickie and Marge) was very flat. My sense is that was a directorial choice but I'm not sure why.

I actually kind of like the black and white - made it somewhat reminiscent of Hitchcock films and reminded me of Roman Holiday. Although the scenery was so gorgeous I wish I could watch it in color.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I forgot to mention the stairs!

While the stairs in Atrani and in the apartment building in Rome were expected, the stairs in random places were seemingly an artistic choice. Remember the stairs behind the police officers desk in Rome when Freddie’s murder was called in? Why was a police department’s main desk located in what looked like the lobby of a fancy building? And why was the autopsy conducted in what looked like the bottom of a fancy stairwell? And what about the staircases in the excelsior? Ginormous staircases in nearly every shot…why? It was distracting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the very few people who has read each and every one of the Ripley novels. I also loved the movie, even though it took very different turns from the book. So I was thrilled to see there was going to be this series…

Unwatchable. 100% unwatchable. Long, slow, boring, no need for the black and white, miscast, wrong tone, trying to shoehorn in diversity in a way that serves absolutely no one and does nothing for the plot. It’s a no. So disappointed.

I doubt that. But if it makes the narcissist feel special to say it, go ahead.

Oh, did I miss where another person on this thread has read all the novels? Didn’t think so. They weren’t all successful or popular. I’ve taken college-level genre writing classes where the professor hadn’t even read all of them, and there was a section on Highsmith. You can’t even find all of them in specialty bookstores. You have to really hunt some of them down.

Have you even read one? Or did you just watch the ‘90s movie like most people who are familiar with the title?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the very few people who has read each and every one of the Ripley novels. I also loved the movie, even though it took very different turns from the book. So I was thrilled to see there was going to be this series…

Unwatchable. 100% unwatchable. Long, slow, boring, no need for the black and white, miscast, wrong tone, trying to shoehorn in diversity in a way that serves absolutely no one and does nothing for the plot. It’s a no. So disappointed.

I doubt that. But if it makes the narcissist feel special to say it, go ahead.

Oh, did I miss where another person on this thread has read all the novels? Didn’t think so. They weren’t all successful or popular. I’ve taken college-level genre writing classes where the professor hadn’t even read all of them, and there was a section on Highsmith. You can’t even find all of them in specialty bookstores. You have to really hunt some of them down.

Have you even read one? Or did you just watch the ‘90s movie like most people who are familiar with the title?

I’m not the narcissist poster. After the original Talented Mr. Ripely movie, I read all of Patricia Hightower’s novels. She’s one of my favorite authors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the very few people who has read each and every one of the Ripley novels. I also loved the movie, even though it took very different turns from the book. So I was thrilled to see there was going to be this series…

Unwatchable. 100% unwatchable. Long, slow, boring, no need for the black and white, miscast, wrong tone, trying to shoehorn in diversity in a way that serves absolutely no one and does nothing for the plot. It’s a no. So disappointed.

I doubt that. But if it makes the narcissist feel special to say it, go ahead.

Oh, did I miss where another person on this thread has read all the novels? Didn’t think so. They weren’t all successful or popular. I’ve taken college-level genre writing classes where the professor hadn’t even read all of them, and there was a section on Highsmith. You can’t even find all of them in specialty bookstores. You have to really hunt some of them down.

Have you even read one? Or did you just watch the ‘90s movie like most people who are familiar with the title?

I was the agent to another writer who has adapted Highsmith's work. We're not all pot washers here, darling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the very few people who has read each and every one of the Ripley novels. I also loved the movie, even though it took very different turns from the book. So I was thrilled to see there was going to be this series…

Unwatchable. 100% unwatchable. Long, slow, boring, no need for the black and white, miscast, wrong tone, trying to shoehorn in diversity in a way that serves absolutely no one and does nothing for the plot. It’s a no. So disappointed.

The diversity was a big bizarre misstep.

Zero chance Dickie and Marge would pal around with a non-binary gal who dresses like a man. Zero chance that character would exist anywhere IRL as a Brit in Italy in the 1960s. (Talk about a nepo-baby…it’s Sting’s kid and they were given a role that just didn’t make sense).

And what are the odds of a successful private eye catering to white people domestically and abroad who is black?

Tokenism. Distracting, unrealistic tokenism.

Zero chance.

Plenty of women in the early 60's wore men's clothing, especially at Wellesley and Vassar and Bennington and those young women went to Italy and Europe all the time. My mother did it. It's you who are deciding this is "tokenism" and couldn't possibly exist. Who are you to make such decisions? Are you a historian of gender?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the very few people who has read each and every one of the Ripley novels. I also loved the movie, even though it took very different turns from the book. So I was thrilled to see there was going to be this series…

Unwatchable. 100% unwatchable. Long, slow, boring, no need for the black and white, miscast, wrong tone, trying to shoehorn in diversity in a way that serves absolutely no one and does nothing for the plot. It’s a no. So disappointed.

The diversity was a big bizarre misstep.

Zero chance Dickie and Marge would pal around with a non-binary gal who dresses like a man. Zero chance that character would exist anywhere IRL as a Brit in Italy in the 1960s. (Talk about a nepo-baby…it’s Sting’s kid and they were given a role that just didn’t make sense).

And what are the odds of a successful private eye catering to white people domestically and abroad who is black?

Tokenism. Distracting, unrealistic tokenism.

Zero chance.

Plenty of women in the early 60's wore men's clothing, especially at Wellesley and Vassar and Bennington and those young women went to Italy and Europe all the time. My mother did it. It's you who are deciding this is "tokenism" and couldn't possibly exist. Who are you to make such decisions? Are you a historian of gender?

Diane Keaton a la Annie Hall is not the same as Sting’s non-binary daughter being cast as a man (I think the character was meant to be a man?).

Anyway, this 2024 show definitely made some 2024 choices…and they were neither realistic or entertaining.

[Anonymous]

The “bring Dickie home” plot doesn’t work so well when Dickie is that much older. His father probably would have given up on him joining the family business, vs. the original scenario where Dickie was just a few years out of college and his father wanted him to come back and settle down.