Critics Are Saying Andrew Scott's 'Phenomenal' New Netflix Show Should Be Your Next Binge-Watch

Andrew Scott is no stranger to playing characters with a villainous streak – from Jim Moriarty in Sherlock to C in Spectre.

For his latest role in Netflix’s Ripley, he takes on the titular character in the new TV adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s crime novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, which was previously adapted as a 1999 film starring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow.

When calculated grifter Tom Ripley is hired by a wealthy man to convince his son to return home from Italy, a tale of deceit, fraud and murder ensues.

The majority of the reviews have praised the impressive monochrome visuals and stylistic choices, as well as the All Of Us Strangers actor’s performance (even if, as ever, you can’t please everyone).

Here’s what the critics are saying about Ripley…

The Guardian (5/5)

“This scintillating and noirish adaptation leaves Matt Damon’s 1999 version in the shade. It’s largely thanks to Scott – who is just mesmerising.”

BBC (5/5) 

“Anyone who has seen the glorious, sun-drenched film The Talented Mr Ripley with Matt Damon as the con man who usurps the life and identity of his rich friend, will be astonished at how this new series transforms the same story into something completely different but just as masterful. The great Andrew Scott brings a hum of sinister energy to the role of Tom Ripley, in a psychological thriller full of suspense from the start.”

New York Magazine

“Andrew Scott’s phenomenal take on Patricia Highsmith’s con man anchors a deliciously mean adaptation.”

IGN (9/10)

“Fans of The Talented Mr. Ripley will be delighted by Ripley’s fidelity to the Patricia Highsmith novel, though certain creative choices are bound to raise eyebrows. Newcomers to the story can anticipate a feast for the eyes and ears led by Andrew Scott, who sells his antihero well, even if the script meanders from Tom Ripley far more than the novel.”

Collider (9/10) 

“This isn’t just one of the best Highsmith adaptations ever; Ripley is easily one of the best shows Netflix has ever done. Watch it on the biggest screen you can and in the highest quality possible, because you don’t want to miss a single detail of this magnificent show.”

Empire (4/5)

“A picturesque portrait of a serial killer, this is less romance-with-a-sting-in-its-tail than it is pure sting. Its gloomy tone won’t suit everyone, but it’s rare to see film noir this exquisitely crafted on TV.”

Radio Times (4/5)

“This run only adapts the first of the five Ripley novels but it appears ripe for further exploration of its sinister protagonist in a world where viewers still just love to root for an unnerving outsider. 

“Move over Saltburn, the original homoerotic con artist is back in town and he will possess luxury at any cost.”

CNET

“Andrew Scott is transcendent in Netflix’s mesmerising noir series. Ripley is cinema on the small screen. Full of twists and turns until the last frame, this is a must-watch series and an immediate awards-show contender.”

The Hollywood Reporter

“In artistic terms, Zaillian’s Ripley – he wrote and directed all eight episodes – is a palimpsest, an adaptation that knows it’s standing on the shoulder of masterpieces, principally Minghella’s film and René Clément’s Purple Noon. But the series wastes no time finding its own style and tone that distinguish it from what came before.”

The Independent (3/5)

“Ripley falters because of its leading man, the typically very good Andrew Scott, who feels all wrong for this… Ripley isn’t at all the disaster it could have been, primarily because its source material is so strong that you’d have to be incredibly dense to screw it up too badly. But it’s haunted by the spirit of past adaptations, unable to wrestle free from the shackles of earlier perfection.”

Financial Times (3/5)

“Curiously for two actors renowned for their easy charm, [Andrew Scott and Johnny Flynn] struggle to generate much in the way of charisma or chemistry here — leaving us unconvinced of the supposedly intense and intimate nature of their bond.”

The Telegraph (2/5)

“Even Andrew Scott can’t salvage this colourless thriller.

“The sun-drenched 1999 film of Patricia Highsmith’s novel was fantastic. This brooding black-and-white spin-off series is dull by comparison.”

Variety

“What’s hard to reconcile is that Tom is utterly charmless. He’s a quick thinker who can meticulously plot his way out of dark corners but Tom’s sociopathic personality and inability to show even a sliver of humanity make Ripley an uncomfortable, sombre watch.”

Ripley is streaming now on Netflix.