Upcoming Netflix Show Based On 69-Year-Old Book Will Be Netflix’s Saltburn (But Looks Even Better)

WARNING: SPOILERS for both Saltburn and The Talented Mr. Ripley.

While Saltburn was far from a critical failure, Netflix’s upcoming Patricia Highsmith adaptation Ripley looks like an even better take on the same themes. When Saltburn’s early reviews arrived in 2023, most of them mentioned two major influences. One was Brideshead Revisited, although further inspection revealed the two stories shared only minor, superficial similarities. The other was Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley, an iconic psychological thriller novel released in 1955 and adapted to film in 1998. Like Saltburn, The Talented Mr. Ripley mixes social satire, homoerotic subtext, and fast-paced, twisty plotting in its unpredictable story of a deceitful social climber.

While Saltburn’s cast of characters arguably earn their fates, there is no denying that the movie’s troubled antihero is a deceptive, conniving killer. The same is true of Highsmith’s mercurial Ripley, a sociopath whose knack for inventive lying, improvisation, and imitation makes him uniquely lethal and fascinating. Matt Damon famously played Ripley as a seemingly sweet college kid in 1998’s The Talented Mr. Ripley, but the role was also taken on by Alain Delon, Dennis Hopper, John Malkovich, and Barry Pepper in other adaptations. Now, Netflix is bringing back Ripley with a fitting new star in the lead.

Ripley & Saltburn Share One Big Inspiration In Common

Netflix’s Ripley will see Andrew Scott, of Fleabag and Sherlock fame, play Ripley. The upcoming thriller series stars Scott alongside Dakota Fanning and Johnny Flynn in a new spin on The Talented Mr. Ripley. While Ripley will be a direct adaptation of the novel, Saltburn took a lot of inspiration from Highsmith’s Ripley books. In particular, Saltburn’s shocking twist ending mirrored that of The Talented Mr. Ripley as the protagonist dropped any vestiges of innocence and dispassionately trimmed loose ends that didn’t fit his master plan by killing inconvenient survivors. Now, Netflix’s adaptation can offer a more focused, sharper take on the same text.

Saltburn’s attempts at social satire fell somewhat flat, with the movie’s muddled message about income inequality getting lost in a miasma of opulence and decadence. The Catton family was portrayed as rude and thoughtless but were ultimately the victims of the middle-class Oliver. Oliver, meanwhile, was an enigma whose motivations were never all that clear or believable. In contrast, Ripley can focus less on gross-out scenes and more on the internal psychology of its eponymous antihero. Every movie version of Mr. Ripley has interpreted Highsmith’s iconic character differently, meaning that Scott can offer another fresh take on the unpredictable figure.

Netflix’s Ripley Already Looks Even Better Than Saltburn

Based on the teaser, Netflix’s Ripley looks like it will avoid Saltburn‘s flaws. Saltburn undeniably provided plenty of shocking moments and unexpected twists, as well as a lot of broad humor. However, it was this same goofy sense of humor and over-the-top plotting that ensured the mystery was never particularly gripping or grounded. In contrast, Ripley appears to take a more measured approach to a similar plot, meaning its tension can be significantly more impactful as the movie is unlikely to indulge in Saltburn’s excesses. As such, Netflix’s upcoming Ripley could potentially improve Saltburn’s already-solid social satire/psychological mystery hybrid.