[CliffFletcher]

I had the same issues with Ripley.

Scott is way too old for the role - he’s 47, and the Ripley character in the book is 26. The whole premise is that he’s been out of college for a few years and at loose ends. But in the Netflix show, he comes across as a middle-aged loser. The scene where he meets Dickie’s parents and they’re all paternal towards him is just weird when the character has thinning hair and the face and posture of a man entering middle age.

Scott also plays him as totally lacking in charm. Yes, Ripley is supposed to be a sociopath. But he’s able to mask it with ingratiating charm. You don’t get that in this portrayal. He plays Ripley as a socially awkward weirdo. There’s no reason why a bon vivant like Dickie would enjoy having him around. He’s a total downer.

Yes, the Netflix show looks nice. But it falls on its face in the casting and characterization. And it’s so slow. We were done after two episodes.

The movie with Damon and Law was much better. Law in particular was excellent - spoiled and entitled, but also charming and magnetic.