The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Kernel Score: 82% · 4,066 ratings · Rated R
Genres: Thriller, Crime, Drama
Released: 1999-12-25
Runtime: 140 minutes
Is The Talented Mr. Ripley worth watching?
Worth watching. A charming con man slides into a rich young man's life in Italy, and things turn dark. Damon is unsettling, Law is magnetic, and the film is stylish but slower than a normal thriller.
Watch it if you
- like psychological thrillers about identity and envy
- enjoy glamorous European settings
- want a villain you almost root for
Skip it if you
- want fast thrills
- dislike slow-building, sinister drama
Best for: Stylish night in
Fresh Kernels verdict, AI-assisted from our scores, audience reviews and the official rating.
Where to watch The Talented Mr. Ripley
- Stream: Paramount+, Philo, Starz
- Rent: JustWatch TV Free, Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play
- Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
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.
The Talented Mr. Ripley parents' guide: ages 15+
Parents need to know that The Talented Mr. Ripley is an R-rated psychological thriller involving murder, deception, and a con man assuming a false identity.
- Violence & scariness: Moderate — Includes murder and homicide as the protagonist's scheme escalates, per plot and keywords.
- Sex, romance & nudity: Some — Themes of jealousy, lovesickness, and ambiguous attraction run through the story without explicit content noted.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official R rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like The Talented Mr. Ripley
If you liked The Talented Mr. Ripley, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- Rope (1948) — 89%: Two young men, a murder and a cold, clever game
- The Usual Suspects (1995) — 91%: Con artist thriller built on deception
- The Imposter (2012) — 81%: Real-life story of a remarkable imposter
- Gone Girl (2014) — 90%: Marriage thriller about a carefully built false front
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991) — 89%: Smart, chilling duel between a killer and an investigator
- The Departed (2006) — 96%: Double lives and dangerous identity games
Director
Cast
- Matt Damon as Tom Ripley
- Gwyneth Paltrow as Marge Sherwood
- Jude Law as Dickie Greenleaf
- Cate Blanchett as Meredith Logue
- Philip Seymour Hoffman as Freddie Miles
- Jack Davenport as Peter Smith-Kingsley
- James Rebhorn as Herbert Greenleaf
- Sergio Rubini as Inspector Roverini
- Philip Baker Hall as Alvin MacCarron
- Celia Weston as Aunt Joan
The Talented Mr. Ripley FAQ
Is The Talented Mr. Ripley worth watching?
Worth watching. A charming con man slides into a rich young man's life in Italy, and things turn dark. Damon is unsettling, Law is magnetic, and the film is stylish but slower than a normal thriller.
Where can I watch The Talented Mr. Ripley?
In the US you can stream The Talented Mr. Ripley on Paramount+, Philo and Starz and rent it from JustWatch TV Free, Prime Video, Apple TV and Google Play.
Is The Talented Mr. Ripley OK for kids?
The Talented Mr. Ripley is rated R. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 15+. Parents need to know that The Talented Mr. Ripley is an R-rated psychological thriller involving murder, deception, and a con man assuming a false identity.
What movies are like The Talented Mr. Ripley?
If you liked The Talented Mr. Ripley, try Rope, The Usual Suspects, The Imposter and Gone Girl.