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The Talented Mr. Ripley

The Talented Mr. Ripley

How far would you go to become someone else.

1999139 minRMidcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Director
Anthony Minghella
Starring
Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett

Tom Ripley is a calculating young man who believes it's better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody. Opportunity knocks in the form of a wealthy U.S. shipbuilder who hires Tom to travel to Italy to bring back his playboy son, Dickie. Ripley worms his way into the idyllic lives of Dickie and his girlfriend, plunging into a daring scheme of duplicity, lies and murder.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Talented Mr. Ripley?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Talented Mr. Ripley streaming on Paramount+ and STARZ and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about The Talented Mr. Ripley?

The Talented Mr. Ripley earns 13 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Top 10% of films.

Show 5 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Talented Mr. Ripley worth watching?

The Talented Mr. Ripley's Midcredits score is the 93rd percentile of all films, from 982K ratings across 6 sources. 81% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

93rd percentile

Better received than 93% of films

94th percentile among Crime93rd percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)91st
Approval (how many liked it)91st

75 /100

91st percentile of all films

94th percentile among Crime93rd percentile among 1990s

Critics 76 · Audience 75

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.4 — solid but not unanimous.

81% liked it

91st percentile of all films

91st percentile among Crime92nd percentile among 1990s
81% rated it 7–1019% rated it 1–6

Critics 85% · Audience 80%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 5 Oscar noms · 10 wins / 77 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Actor in a Supporting Role
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Art Direction-Set Decoration

99th percentile

981K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Crime98th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 6% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$40M
Opening weekend$13M
Domestic gross$81M
Worldwide gross$138M

Returned 3.5× its budget — 97th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is visually beautiful, features strong performances (especially Jude Law), and adapts Highsmith's story, but its slow pace and implausibility may alienate some viewers.

Fans praised

  • Jude Law's magnetic, scene-stealing turn as Dickie Greenleaf, alluring yet repellent
  • Gorgeous Italian locations, period costumes, and lush cinematography
  • Matt Damon's layered, complex performance as Tom Ripley

Detractors panned

  • Lethargic pacing and a plot that lacks momentum
  • Implausible premise that Tom Ripley could get away with murder
  • Overlong runtime that could be trimmed

What stands out

Cinematography90

Beautiful Italian locales and period detail

Atmosphere88

Immersion in Italy and dread beneath the glamour

ActingDivisive85

Jude Law's star-making charisma; Matt Damon's complexity; supporting cast strong

Sound and music85

Jazz score adds to the 1950s atmosphere

TensionDivisive78

Suspense builds gradually; some find it dull

CharactersDivisive75

Tom Ripley and Dickie Greenleaf written with nuance; some find motivations unconvincing

Plot and storyDivisive65

Slow-burn, patient storytelling; detractors cite implausible twists

PacingDivisive45

Lethargic in places; runtime too long for some

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 11 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s even
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Talented Mr. Ripley like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicElegiac
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its material with sober gravity, never winking at the audience despite Ripley's amoral shape-shifting.
The rideThe film sustains a mounting tension that peaks in the final act's confrontations and the tragic shipboard murder, leaving a melancholic afterglow.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically as Ripley's deceptions escalate.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

The answer rests on this: Haunting · 14% of filmsDevastating · 3% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's final act of murder for self-preservation leaves a lingering sense of tragedy.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% (this title) · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Obsession: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeTom Ripley's obsession with Dickie Greenleaf's lifestyle leads to a corruption arc of step-by-step murder and identity theft.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% (this title) · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsClass · 3% of filmsDeception · 9% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film interrogates the construction of selfhood through Ripley's chameleon-like impersonations, driven by social aspiration and a desperate craving for belonging.
StanceThe film interrogates the nature of identity and social class, showing Ripley's pursuit of a self through crime as ultimately hollow and self-destructive, without moralizing.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanRuralIn transitStylized realism
Orchestral classicalJazzSupportive music · hybrid · Gabriel Yared
SettingLate 1950s Italian Riviera and Rome, among wealthy expatriates and jazz lounges
MusicThe score blends lush orchestral themes with period jazz, echoing Ripley's longing and the Italian setting.

Content guide

Is The Talented Mr. Ripley okay for kids?

R

The Talented Mr. Ripley is rated R: “Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (68/100), sexual content at moderate (47/100), language at moderate (47/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (34/100) and frightening material at intense (61/100). Overall it is heavier than 28% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 19 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • Ireland15
  • JapanG
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil14
  • Czechia15+
  • Greece16
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyNR
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 54% of all filmsHeavier than 28% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 47%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 48%
Profanity
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 19%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 30%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 48%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Talented Mr. Ripley have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Talented Mr. Ripley?

Cast

Jude Law won the BAFTA for this film.

Matt Damon
as Tom Ripley
Globe nominee: Golden Globe nomination — Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - DramaTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Gwyneth Paltrow
as Marge Sherwood
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jude Law
as Dickie Greenleaf
BAFTA win: BAFTA Award — Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Cate Blanchett
as Meredith Logue
BAFTA nominee: BAFTA Award nomination — Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Philip Seymour Hoffman
as Freddie Miles
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Jack Davenport
as Peter Smith-Kingsley
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
James Rebhorn
as Herbert Greenleaf
Sergio Rubini
as Inspector Roverini
Philip Baker Hall
as Alvin MacCarron
Celia Weston
as Aunt Joan

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Talented Mr. Ripley?

Movies like The Talented Mr. Ripley include Purple Noon (1960), The American Friend (1977) and The Two Faces of January (2014). Of the 12 closest matches, several are stories of obsession, and most are films set in high society.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Patricia Highsmith wrote 6 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with The Talented Mr. Ripley?

972 other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: unrequited love. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.