Ripley

In Ripley, creator Steven Zaillian creates a world of literal, high-contrast black and white to reflect all the grey areas of the human experience: all the lies we tell each other and ourselves to get ahead, to justify our bad decisions, and to condone our jealousy and greed. Compared with other filmed versions of Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel, the series is more gloomy, more grim, and more devoted to digging into the sociopathy of its titular protagonist, portrayed with exquisite nuance by Andrew Scott. But it’s also the one Talented Mr. Ripley adaptation that, through an unexpected foray into the life of 16th century Italian painter Caravaggio, gets closest to the distinctly mid-century sensibility of Highsmith’s original work. For its gorgeously rendered presentation of grifting as a natural byproduct of the American dream, Ripley wins a Peabody Award.