The Talented Mr. Ripley

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The Talented Mr. Ripley

R

1999

2h 19m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Romance

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Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

139 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

To be young and carefree amid the blue waters and idyllic landscape of sun-drenched Italy in the late 1950s; that's la dolce vita Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) craves- and Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) leads. When Dickie's father asks Tom to bring his errant playboy son back home to America, Dickie and his beautiful expatriate girlfriend, Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow), never suspect the dangerous extremes to which Ripley will go to make their lifestyle his own.

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Critics Consensus

With Matt Damon's unsettling performance offering a darkly twisted counterpoint to Anthony Minghella's glossy direction, The Talented Mr. Ripley is a suspense thriller that lingers.

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Anthony Lane

The New Yorker

04/03/2023

The film feels warm but unsettled, as if hinting at approaching storms; the score, too, flits from lugubrious to manic.

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Ed Potton

The Times (UK)

04/22/2022

5/5

The menace builds as Tom’s deceptions pile up and the locations — Rome, Venice, cliffside Positano — are as gorgeous as the cast.

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Nick Schager

The Daily Beast

02/02/2021

A decidedly dark and demented sort of polished gem, all spectacular surfaces masking a fundamentally rotten core.

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Don Shanahan

Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast

04/18/2025

The dark decandence on display is second to none.

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Noah Gittell

Washington City Paper

11/06/2024

If it wasn’t clear by now, The Talented Mr. Ripley is the rare film of its era in which the actors take center stage, not the director.

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

10/03/2024

7/10

Matt Damon’s Tom Ripley is a 20th century Iago: he lies for advancement, he lies to protect himself, and he lies because it does not occur to him to simply tell the truth.

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James A

@Droz27 11h

Top ten all time thriller, such a beautiful film crafted perfectly in every way. Young Jude Law is effortless and almost as gorgeous as his Italian clothes, you truly want to BE him. This is by far Matt Damon's best role, he nails it. Gwyneth is so subtle as she gradually suspects him, and the twist with the Private Detective sets up a poetic if unsatisfying ending. The style and cinematography are iconic, the characters real and believable, the script keeps you guessing and you find yourself rooting for the villain. It says so much about humanity, relationships and envy, I adore it.

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Katie D

@novagirl11kd Jun 30

I watched this on the plane back from Italy, and I have mixed feelings. The whole thing felt strangely unhinged in a way that other villain-driven movies don't, and I never really understood Ripley's motive, which made it hard to get invested. The backstories of the various characters were also confusing to keep straight. That said, I went in expecting more of a whodunit, something twisty and surprising, and it just wasn't. The tension was there, but the "watch him get away with it" structure wasn't what I was hoping for – then again I don't usually watch thrillers. The standout for me was actually Jack Davenport, who plays Peter Smith-Kingsley. I recognized him from Pirates of the Caribbean, The Wedding Date, and Smash. He was the most compelling person on screen, and I'd love to see him in more things! Not a movie I'd watch again or recommend broadly unless you're a fan of the source material or psychological thrillers generally.

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Keith B.

@Okbullard May 28

I saw this a couple decades ago and didn't remember much so I watched it again. This was a great story with excellent acting and was definitely worth the watch.

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Christina C.

@xtina213 Mar 2

I really enjoyed that. Very suspenseful. Matt Damon did a fantastic job

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Crystal R.

@luckyvirg13 Feb 25

scenery: 10/10, music at the beginning: 10/10, acting from Matt, Jude and Gwen: 10/10, ending: 7/10

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Sarah S

@RT55319345 Feb 16

A scenic slow burn turned dark thriller. Unexpectedly complex and increasingly messy, loved every bit of it.

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Anthony Minghella

Director

Matt Damon

Tom Ripley

Gwyneth Paltrow

Marge Sherwood

Jude Law

Dickie Greenleaf

Cate Blanchett

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The Talented Mr. Ripley: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

To be young and carefree amid the blue waters and idyllic landscape of sun-drenched Italy in the late 1950s; that's la dolce vita Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) craves- and Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) leads. When Dickie's father asks Tom to bring his errant playboy son back home to America, Dickie and his beautiful expatriate girlfriend, Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow), never suspect the dangerous extremes to which Ripley will go to make their lifestyle his own.

Director: Anthony Minghella
Producer: Steve E. Andrews, William Horberg, Tom Sternberg
Screenwriter: Patricia Highsmith
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Mirage Enterprises, Paramount Pictures, Timnick Films, Miramax Films
Rating: R (Language|Brief Nudity|Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $81.3M
Runtime: 2h 19m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)