TV Show review
April 4, 2024 · TV-MA · Ended
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
RIPLEY is a black-and-white Netflix limited series written and directed by Steven Zaillian. It adapts Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel about a clever grifter who uses lies and murder to steal a wealthy life in 1960s Italy. The tale stays a sharp psychological study of deceit, class envy, and personal fakery with only faint echoes of the book's queer subtext in the background. No strong social or identity themes stand out for viewers.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for RIPLEY.
Woke representation / casting
Andrew Scott, known for his gay identity and prior queer roles, stars as Ripley in a story with mild source subtext, backed by casting director Avy Kaufman's queer project history; however, the cast fits the 1960s period setting without emphasized identity signaling or prominent diversity pushes in key roles.
Woke political dialogue
No political speeches, activist lines, or modern social justice talk appear in the narrative.
Identity-driven story themes
The 1955 source includes light homoerotic undertones in the main relationship, lightly echoed here through a character line and implied dynamics, but these stay minor and do not drive the plot or receive activist updates; the focus remains on crime, envy, and deception.
Western institutional / cultural critique
The story presents no critiques of Western institutions, patriarchy, capitalism, or traditional norms as systemic problems; it is a personal tale of moral failure in a historical setting.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. The series adapts the novel with stylistic shifts like black and white and an older lead but makes no identity or DEI motivated changes to characters or source material.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No anti-woke or right-leaning public complaints accuse the show of promoting woke, DEI, or identity politics; all debate concerns style and acting.
Creator track record context
Key figures Steven Zaillian and Patricia Highsmith show minimal activist patterns, with only mild elevation from casting director Avy Kaufman and producer Andrew Scott's queer-related public profile and projects.
Production
