Murder in Black and White

Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley has actually been made into a motion picture two times, the more recent attempt, in 1999, featuring Matt Damon in the title role. Watchable as they both are, neither movie adjustment comes as near to capturing Highsmith's dark, disturbing story of a young conman who turns to casual murder as does the brand-new Netflix series Ripley, an eight-parter that debuted April 4.

Off, Andrew Scott is pleasantly creepy as Ripley, so much so my wife almost couldn't enjoy it after a couple episodes (though she couldn't look away, either). What keeps even the quickly unnerved from bailing is that cinematographer Robert Elswit shot the whole series in black and white so luscious that every scene looks like an art masterpiece.

Set mostly in Rome, this Ripley sticks close to Highsmith's story while mentioning the deep shadows of movie noir classics of the 1950s and '60s. It adds, as a character, Baroque painter Caravaggio, a killer himself, who practically developed that noir appearance with his considerably lit scenes of the dark side of Catholic iconography and the underbelly of Roman nightlife. Likewise included: a scene-stealing Maine Coon house feline named Lucio, as in Lucifer, who makes repeat appearances at essential moments in the drama. A must-see.