Plot summary
Tom Ripley meets an American teenager named Billy who is working as a gardener in a Paris exurb. After spending some time together, Ripley deduces Billy is actually Frank Pierson, the missing son of a recently deceased American tycoon. After some men inquire about Billy at the house where he is living, Tom takes him home under the pretense that he will do some gardening.
Frank soon confesses that he pushed his father's wheelchair over a cliff. He sought Ripley out because of his questionable reputation. Ripley recognizes Frank as a kindred spirit and tries to help him come to peace with the murder. Frank adores Ripley, calls him "Sir", and instantly obeys nearly every order Tom gives. He agrees to return home, but he wants to stay in Europe a little longer.
Tom's underworld connection, Reeves Minot, furnishes a new passport for Frank, and they travel to West Berlin. During a walk in the Grunewald, Billy is kidnapped. Ripley coordinates the Pierson's $2 million ransom with the help of a private detective. Instead of delivering the money, Ripley impulsively kills one of the kidnappers.
He sets up another exchange at a gay bar and attends dressed in drag. When the kidnappers leave empty-handed, he follows them to their hideout. Still in drag, he scares the amateur thugs away and rescues Frank.
Frank stalls for time in Europe with Tom, dreading the return home. Tom agrees to return with him to Kennebunkport. He continues to urge Frank to justify his father's murder and move on. Frank claims heartbreak over a girl named Teresa and is unable to follow Tom's advice. Tom stops him from jumping to his death off the cliff where Frank killed his father. As Tom prepares to depart for France, Frank returns to the cliff and commits suicide. Tom is shaken by his death and keeps a stuffed bear that Frank had won in Berlin.
Patricia Highsmith was an American novelist and short story writer widely known for her psychological thrillers, including her series of five novels featuring the character Tom Ripley. She wrote 22 novels and numerous short stories throughout her career spanning nearly five decades, and her work has led to more than two dozen film adaptations. Her writing derived influence from existentialist literature, and questioned notions of identity and popular morality. She was dubbed "the poet of apprehension" by novelist Graham Greene.
Ripley's Game (1974) is a psychological thriller by Patricia Highsmith, the third in her series about the con artist and murderer Tom Ripley.
The American Friend is a 1977 neo-noir film written and directed by Wim Wenders, adapted from the 1974 novel Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith. It stars Dennis Hopper as career-criminal Tom Ripley and Bruno Ganz as Jonathan Zimmermann, a terminally ill picture framer whom Ripley coaxes into becoming an assassin. The film uses an unusual "natural" language concept: Zimmermann speaks German with his family and his doctor, but English with Ripley and while visiting Paris.
The Talented Mr. Ripley is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Anthony Minghella, based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel of the same title. Set in the 1950s, it stars Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, a con artist who is sent from New York City to Italy to convince Dickie Greenleaf, a rich and spoiled playboy, to return home – however, after failing, Ripley takes extreme measures. Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, and Philip Seymour Hoffman also appear in supporting roles.
Ripley Under Water is a 1991 psychological thriller by Patricia Highsmith, the last of five novels featuring Tom Ripley, "an intelligent, cultured gentleman who dabbles in art, music and, occasionally, murder".
Tom Ripley is a fictional character in the Ripley series of crime novels by American novelist Patricia Highsmith, as well as several film adaptations. He is a career criminal, con artist, and serial killer. The five novels in which he appears—The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ripley Under Ground, Ripley's Game, The Boy Who Followed Ripley, and Ripley Under Water—were published between 1955 and 1991.
Ripley Under Ground is a psychological thriller by Patricia Highsmith, the second novel in her Ripliad series. It was published in June 1970.
Purple Noon is a 1960 crime thriller film starring Alain Delon, alongside Marie Laforêt and Maurice Ronet; Romy Schneider, Delon's girlfriend at the time, makes a brief cameo appearance in the film. The film follows Tom Ripley, a young American sent to Italy to convince wealthy playboy Philippe Greenleaf to return home. As Tom becomes obsessed with Philippe's luxurious lifestyle, he devises a plan that will allow him to take over Philippe's life.
This Sweet Sickness (1960) is a psychological thriller novel by Patricia Highsmith, about a man who is obsessed with a woman who has rejected his advances. It is a "painful novel about obsessive imaginary love".
The Price of Salt is a 1952 romance novel by Patricia Highsmith, first published under the pseudonym "Claire Morgan." Highsmith—known as a suspense writer based on her psychological thriller Strangers on a Train—used an alias as she did not want to be tagged as "a lesbian-book writer", and she also used her own life references for characters and occurrences in the story.
Harry "The Hook" Aleman was a Chicago mobster who was one of the most feared enforcers for the Chicago Outfit during the 1970s. Aleman got the nickname "Hook" from his boxing career in high school. He is also famous for being the only person in the United States ever to be acquitted of murder, then legally tried and convicted for murder when the initial trial was found to be corrupt. This is not considered a case of double jeopardy as the initial trial was found to be corrupt; the Chicago judge was recruited specifically to acquit Aleman during a bench trial.
Deep Water is a psychological thriller novel by Patricia Highsmith, first published in 1957 by Harper & Brothers. It is Highsmith's fifth published novel, the working title originally being The Dog in the Manger. It was brought back into print in the United States in 2003 by W. W. Norton & Company.
The Talented Mr. Ripley is a 1955 psychological thriller novel by Patricia Highsmith. The novel introduced the character of con man Tom Ripley, whom Highsmith wrote about in four subsequent books. Its numerous film and television adaptations include Purple Noon (1960), starring Alain Delon, The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), starring Matt Damon, and the 2024 series Ripley, starring Andrew Scott.
Ripley's Game is a 2002 thriller film directed by Liliana Cavani. It is adapted from the 1974 novel Ripley's Game, the third in Patricia Highsmith's series about the murderous adventures of the anti-hero Tom Ripley. John Malkovich stars as Ripley, opposite Dougray Scott and Ray Winstone. The film grossed $6.2 million on a budget of $30 million, making it a box-office failure; although it received positive reviews. Highsmith's novel was previously adapted in 1977 as The American Friend by director Wim Wenders, starring Dennis Hopper and Bruno Ganz.
Pure Luck is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Australian director Nadia Tass in her American film directing debut. It is a remake of the popular French comedy film La Chèvre (1981). The film stars Martin Short, Danny Glover, Sheila Kelly, Scott Wilson, and Sam Wanamaker.
Les Biches is a 1968 drama film directed by Claude Chabrol. It depicts a tortured love triangle between characters portrayed by Stéphane Audran and Jacqueline Sassard; Jean-Louis Trintignant also stars. Audran won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 18th Berlin International Film Festival. The film had a total of 627,164 admissions in France.
The Cry of the Owl is a psychological thriller novel by Patricia Highsmith, the eighth of her 22 novels. It was first published in the US in 1962 by Harper & Row and in the UK by Heinemann the following year. It explores, in the phrase of critic Brigid Brophy, "the psychology of the self-selected victim".
Ripley Under Ground is a 2005 German-British-French crime thriller film directed by Roger Spottiswoode and based on the 1970 second novel in Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley series. It stars Barry Pepper as Ripley and features Willem Dafoe, Alan Cumming, and Tom Wilkinson in supporting roles.
"Wide Open" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American crime-thriller television series Millennium. It premiered on Fox on January 3, 1997. The episode was written by Charles D. Holland and directed by Jim Charleston. "Wide Open" featured guest appearances by Glynn Turman and Roger Cross.
Lola and Billy the Kid is a 1999 film scripted and directed by Kutluğ Ataman and produced in Germany. It has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 40%.
