Safe Return Doubtful

Netflix – 2024

There is often a question as to why great stories are adapted again and again for the screen. This goes someway to answering that.

The director, Steven Zallian, understands the often complex writing of Patricia Highsmith. Highsmith wrote psychological thrillers with the emphasis firmly on the psychological. There are no less than six film adaptations of her original Ripley novel, and now a second TV adaptation. I’ve seen many of them, but Zaillan understands her best of all, building the tension to an almost unbearable level. I don’t binge TV series, but this was the closest I’ve been to doing so. It is also one circumstance when stretching the story out gets the best from it. The viewer gets to the state where they just want more. There’s a slight difference to the ending that Highsmith wrote, but dare I say it, maybe an even better twist, and one that I am sure she would have appreciated.

Zaillian employs some innovative techniques also, not least the floating letter translation of Italian print, such as newspaper headlines.

It is glorious to look at, filmed in haunting black and white, which emphasises the noir element, with many atmospheric shots of Rome, Naples, Palermo and Venice, usually at night.

Andrew Scott gives a grounded, realistic, and completely gripping portrayal of a psychopath’s unwavering resolve to attain a higher social class. He is an enigma, there are times when the audience will take his side, hope he gets away with it, and others when his behaviour can only be seen as despicable. He’s not a hero, not an anti-hero, simply Thomas Ripley, one of the greatest fictional characters ever invented.

Zaillian delves into the underbelly of human behaviour in how far a person will go to get what they want. For Scott, it is his grandest performance.

Though Scott’s performance is brilliant, others are outstanding as well, notably Maurizio Lombardi as Inspector Ravini whose quirkiness and tenacity is a pleasure to watch, and Dakota Fanning as Marge with her suspicions and mood-swings.

It’s almost 8 hours of gripping television.

I’ll be surprised if there’s better TV this year.

More good news.. is that there another four Ripley novels that I should think will interest the director and his team.

IMDb score 8.2 / 10 – My score 9 / 10