What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedRIPLEY
Steven Zaillian · Series · 2024
If you loved RIPLEY, start with The Talented Mr. Ripley (Patricia Highsmith, 1992) — a book from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to RIPLEY across media.
If RIPLEY held you captive, it is likely because you are drawn to the terrifying, magnetic allure of calculated moral disintegration.
Start with the source
Adaptation
Purple Noon
René Clément · Film · 1960
Adaptation
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Anthony Minghella · Film · 1999
Books on the same thread
With a Vengeance
Riley Sager · Book
Shares 2 threads with RIPLEY: Deception, Psychological thriller.
Just as RIPLEY explores the dark intersection of class conflict and calculated revenge, this story follows a protagonist whose descent into deception is fueled by deep-seated personal grievances.
Crook Manifesto
Colson Whitehead · Book
Explores: systemic corruption, 1970s urban decay, criminal underworld.
The systemic corruption and urban underworlds featured here mirror the grifter's environment in RIPLEY, offering a similarly atmospheric look at characters navigating a world defined by criminal ambition.
Pieces of Her
Karin Slaughter · Book
Shares 2 threads with RIPLEY: psychological thriller, crime drama.
Fans of the identity-focused tension in RIPLEY will appreciate this exploration of hidden pasts and the way a singular, violent revelation can dismantle a carefully constructed, deceptive life.
The Big Sleep
Raymond Chandler · Book · 2017
Shares a thread with RIPLEY: Moral ambiguity.
This foundational noir classic provides the same moral ambiguity and cynical urban atmosphere that made RIPLEY so compelling, grounding its high-society mystery in cold, hard-boiled investigative grit.
Films on the same thread
Purple Noon
René Clément · Film · 1960
Shares 3 threads with RIPLEY: Identity Theft, Moral Ambiguity, Existential Crisis.
As an earlier adaptation of the same source material, this film captures the exact class envy and existential crisis that define the psychological engine of RIPLEY.
Bicycle Thieves
Film · 1948
Shares a thread with RIPLEY: Moral ambiguity.
While distinct in tone, the desperate moral ambiguity and the high stakes of a single man's survival in a cold, indifferent city echo the underlying tension of RIPLEY.
Hit Man
Richard Linklater · Film · 2024
Shares 2 threads with RIPLEY: Moral Ambiguity, Neo-Noir.
The exhilarating danger of living a double life and the inevitable fallout of false pretenses make this an essential companion to the identity-shifting protagonist of RIPLEY.
Nightmare Alley
Guillermo del Toro · Film · 2021
Shares 2 threads with RIPLEY: Neo-Noir, Psychological Thriller.
The study of greed and the manipulation of others to secure an unearned future mirrors the chilling trajectory of the protagonist in RIPLEY with dark, stylistic perfection.
Podcasts on the same thread
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
Explores: small-town isolation, eccentricity, social decay.
The focus on the eccentricities of the wealthy and the invasive nature of an outsider investigating their private world echoes the intrusive, observational dread found in RIPLEY.
Serial
Serial Productions & The New York Times · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Justice system flaws, Legal ambiguity, Deep-dive reporting.
The deep-dive into legal ambiguity and human fallibility provides the same intellectual engagement as the moral collapse of the lead character in RIPLEY, delivered through rigorous investigation.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is RIPLEY based on the same book as the 1999 movie?
Yes, both the 2024 television series RIPLEY and the 1999 film adaptation are based on the 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. Both versions follow the same story of a grifter in 1960s New York who travels to Italy to commit fraud and murder.
How does the 1960 movie Purple Noon relate to RIPLEY?
Purple Noon is an earlier film adaptation of the same source material as the 2024 series RIPLEY. While both tell the story of a grifter traveling to Italy to deceive a wealthy man's son, they are distinct artistic interpretations of the original novel The Talented Mr. Ripley.
Should I read The Talented Mr. Ripley before watching RIPLEY?
You do not need to read the book before watching RIPLEY. The 2024 series is a complete adaptation of the source material. However, reading The Talented Mr. Ripley provides additional context regarding the grifter's life of deceit and murder in Italy that the show depicts on screen.
Is the 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley a sequel to the 2024 series RIPLEY?
No, the 1999 film is not a sequel to the 2024 series RIPLEY. Both are separate adaptations of the same book, The Talented Mr. Ripley. They depict the same narrative arc concerning a grifter's journey from New York to Italy rather than continuing the story from one another.