Adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s riveting novel, the film chronicles the life of Tom Ripley, a con artist skillfully portrayed by Damon. Set in the late 1950s, the narrative begins when the affluent Herbert Greenleaf, played by James Rebhorn, mistakenly believes Tom is a Princeton acquaintance of his son, Dickie Greenleaf (Law). Greenleaf tasks Tom with bringing Dickie back from his indulgent escapades in Italy, offering him a handsome reward. Assuming Dickie’s identity aboard a lavish ocean liner, Tom sets out to locate Dickie in the picturesque Italian town of Mongibello.

The plot thickens as Tom perpetuates the charade of being a Princeton alum, ingratiating himself with Dickie and his girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Paltrow). Enamored by Dickie’s opulent lifestyle and carefree demeanor, Tom is drawn into a world of deceit and danger, leading to tragic events, including the demise of a local woman involved with Dickie. Even after Greenleaf cuts off Dickie’s funds, the trio continues their Italian adventures until Tom’s impulsive act of murder alters everything, as he assumes Dickie’s identity.

Without revealing all the twists that follow Dickie’s demise, it’s clear why “The Talented Mr. Ripley” is held in such high esteem. Although it garnered considerable praise upon release, its legacy has only strengthened over time.

At the 72nd Academy Awards in 2000, the film received several nominations, including for its haunting score by Gabriel Yared, the exquisite costume design by Ann Roth and Gary Jones, and the meticulous production design by Roy Walker and Bruno Cesari. Notably, it also earned a nomination for Anthony Minghella’s adept screenplay adaptation and a supporting actor nod for Jude Law. This marked Law’s first Academy nod, followed by another for “Cold Mountain” a few years later. Upon its initial release, the film was met with widespread acclaim from both critics and audiences.

At the 72nd Academy Awards held in 2000, “The Talented Mr. Ripley” earned a few “below the line” nominations, including ones for its score (by Gabriel Yared), costume design (by Ann Roth and Gary Jones), and production design (by Roy Walker and Bruno Cesari), but it also notably scored a nod for adapted screenplay for Anthony Minghella’s sharp adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s book as well as a supporting actor nomination for Jude Law. (This was Law’s first of two nominations as of this writing, with the second coming just a few years later for “Cold Mountain.”) This is all unsurprising, because when “The Talented Mr. Ripley” first released, it was met with acclaim from critics and audiences alike.

Not only did “The Talented Mr. Ripley” prove to be a huge box office success — earning nearly $130 million on a budget of just $40 million — but critics loved it too. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie still holds an average rating of 85% with a critical consensus that declares, “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.” In recent years, critics have re-appraised the film, with Anthony Lane writing for The New Yorker in 2023, “The film feels warm but unsettled, as if hinting at approaching storms; the score, too, flits from lugubrious to manic.” Nick Schager expressed a similar sentiment in The Daily Beast in 2021, calling the movie “A decidedly dark and demented sort of polished gem, all spectacular surfaces masking a fundamentally rotten core.”

Now that the movie is coming to Netflix, it’s joining a recent adaptation that made waves on the streamer — so let’s talk about “Ripley.”

In 2024, Oscar winner Steven Zaillian — who won a trophy for the “Schindler’s List” screenplay and also racked up nominations for films like “Gangs of New York,” “Moneyball,” and “The Irishman” — revived Tom Ripley’s story with the simply titled miniseries “Ripley,” which stars “Fleabag” veteran Andrew Scott as the titular antihero. Marking the very first time that a Patricia Highsmith novel was adapted for a TV series and not a film, “Ripley” follows the same journey as “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” recasting Marge Sherwood with Dakota Johnson and reintroducing the rakish Dickie Greenleaf as played by Johnny Flynn.

To set itself apart from Anthony Minghella’s film, though, “Ripley” plays with its style. The eight-episode limited series is presented in a stark black-and-white colorway, which helps it feel more like classic noir, and by forgoing devices like narration, Zaillian keeps the focus on Scott’s outstanding performance. Scott, who earned an Emmy nomination for his role, spoke to Vanity Fair about taking on such an iconic role decades after Minghella’s movie and Matt Damon’s phenomenal performance, and he was quite blunt about the experience (but in a good way). “I feel like you’re required to love and advocate for your characters, and your job is to go, Why? What’s that? You don’t play the opinions, the previous attitudes that people might have about Tom Ripley,” he told the outlet. “You have to throw all those out, try not to listen to them, and go, Okay, well, I have to have the courage to create our own version and my own understanding of the character.”

“The Talented Mr. Ripley” hits Netflix on December 13, and the series “Ripley” is streaming there now.