Netflix’s Ripley Is All in Black and White for a Good Reason

WHILE NETFLIX IS still riding off the high of 3 Body Problem, it’s quietly released another solid series that’s perfect for your next binge. Ripley, based on the Patricia Highsmith book series, stars Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley, a con man and murderer who traipses around Europe, looking for his next score while evading capture. It’s a slow-burn thriller that builds in suspense as Ripley schemes his way through ’60s Italy. Dakota Fanning stars alongside Scott, too, as Marge, the girlfriend of a man Ripley takes an obsessive fascination with. She’s a quiet presence, but can’t help give Ripley a knowing stare with each interaction, determined to reveal his unsavory nature to her boyfriend.

Spanning eight episodes, Ripley is the perfect watch over a weekend. But anyone tuning in will notice a blatant stylistic choice: the entire show is in black and white. While it may seem jarring at first, the monochrome only pulls you in more, saving you from the distractions a bright, colorful version of the show may have given. Plus, it’s eye-catching from the thumbnail alone, likely enticing Netflix users who may not initially think to watch Ripley. As a bonus, it gets people talking.

So, what’s up with this filmmaking choice? Is it because the show is set in the ’60s? Or is it more complex than that? For anyone who’s curious, here’s what we know about why Ripley is in black and white.

Why is Ripley in black and white?

In an interview with Variety, the show’s writer-director Steve Zaillian revealed that he decided on the choice to make the show in black and white from the get go. “The edition of the Ripley book I had on my desk had an evocative black-and-white photograph on the cover,” he said. “As I was writing, I held that image in my mind. Black and white fits this story—and it’s gorgeous.”

Zaillian further elaborated on the choice at a Netflix screening, according to Indiewire. “I also felt that this story—the one that she told, the one that I wanted to tell—was quite sinister and quite dark,” he said. “I just couldn’t imagine that taking place in a beautiful Italian setting with bright blue skies and colorful outfits and things like that.”

It’s a hard choice to argue with.