We all know the infamous Talented Mr. Ripley. He is the ultimate con artist and master manipulator, a character who has captivated audiences around the world as they voyeuristically indulge in his devious exploits. Created by American novelist Patricia Highsmith, Ripley remains one of literature’s most fascinating and morally dubious characters. Towards the end of her life, Highsmith became something of a recluse, effectively sealing herself off from the rest of the world. So, what happens when her publisher demands a new novel despite her making it abundantly clear that she is done writing? Well, you get yourself a delicious game of cat and mouse between a reclusive author and a wide-eyed fan who understands Tom Ripley just as well as she does.
Publicist Edward Ridgeway (Alden Ehrenreich, Oppenheimer) is sent to rural Switzerland to convince acclaimed author, Patricia Highsmith (Helen Mirren, The Queen), to write another novel about the talented Mr. Ripley. However, she refuses Edward at every front. In a last ditch effort to convince Patricia to change her mind, Edward wishes to prove that he understands Ripley as well as she does. So he proposes a game where they come up with a new Mr. Ripley story together. The idea immediately intrigues Patricia and together they build a novel that slowly begins to blur fiction and reality.
First and foremost, A Talent for Murder is an acting showcase for Helen Mirren and Alden Ehrenreich. Mirren delivers one of her best performances in the past 20 years, embodying Patricia Highsmith in her latter years with a mean, bitter, and hostile disposition that remains enigmatic in all the right ways. Ehrenreich serves as the perfect complement to Mirren, pulling double duty as he portrays both the wide-eyed publisher who desperately wants to work with her and the man whose darker inclinations slowly begin to reveal themselves. He is equally fantastic as Mr. Ripley, bringing the infamous character to life during the scenes in which Edward and Patricia discuss their alleged novel.
Watching these two actors bounce off one another within the confined walls of Patricia’s home, as the tension gradually escalates and they get increasingly under each other’s skin, is an absolute delight. They are engaged in a psychological game of cat-and-mouse warfare, constantly testing one another’s limits, and both Mirren and Ehrenreich are nothing short of brilliant.
As for the narrative, it is held together almost entirely by the cat-and-mouse game between Patricia and Edward. The two collaborate on a Mr. Ripley story that genuinely feels like something Patricia herself would have written. However, the lines between reality and fiction gradually begin to blur, as much of the story draws from Edward’s own experiences in Switzerland, where he meets Clementine (Olivia Cooke, House of the Dragon). As the story unfolds, Edward begins to almost fantasize himself as Ripley, slowly proving Patricia’s point that, deep down, everyone wants to be Ripley.
Overall, A Talent for Murder is a delicious little psychological thriller that is elevated tremendously by the performances of Helen Mirren and Alden Ehrenreich. While the narrative itself may not be the most elaborate or groundbreaking, watching these two actors engage in a game of psychological warfare within the confines of Patricia’s home is an absolute delight. There is something incredibly fascinating about the idea that everyone, to some degree, wants to be Tom Ripley, and the film does a fantastic job of exploring that notion through its increasingly blurred lines between reality and fiction. It may not reach the heights of Highsmith’s most famous creation, but it is a thoroughly entertaining showcase for two immensely talented actors who understand exactly what makes this twisted little world so compelling.
My Rating: B
A Talent for Murder is now playing in theatres nationwide.
A Talent for Murder has its world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
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