Ripley: A Double Life of Crime.

The article focuses on the production and cinematography of *Ripley*, an eight-episode Netflix thriller written and directed by Steven Zaillian, based on Patricia Highsmith's novel *The Talented Mr. Ripley*. Shot in black-and-white by cinematographer Robert Elswit, ASC, the series follows the 1960s con man Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) as he infiltrates wealthy Italian society, adopting the identity of Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn). Zaillian and Elswit drew inspiration from Italian Baroque painting, especially Caravaggio, and classic Italian cinema to create a visually striking, suspenseful atmosphere using custom Panavision lenses and the Arri Alexa LF camera. The production emphasized long takes, architectural framing, and a “silent Greek chorus” of inanimate witnesses to Ripley’s crimes, while overcoming challenges such as night shoots on the ancient Via Appia and complex boat murder sequences filmed with extensive visual effects.