While “The Talented Mr. Ripley” shares many of its plot points and character motivations with “Saltburn,” viewers who enjoyed the latter because of its shocking scenes of depravity will be let down if they expect the same from Anthony Minghella’s psychological thriller. Though there are shocking bursts of violence as Tom loses himself to his increasingly vast web of lies, nothing in “The Talented Mr. Ripley” approaches the infamy of the graveyard or bathtub scenes in “Saltburn.” On the other hand, the 1999 film does tick a lot of the same boxes and manages to execute them even better.

Critics agree, too, as “The Talented Mr. Ripley” outstrips “Saltburn” on Rotten Tomatoes by 85% to 71%. The audience margin is narrower — 80% to 79% — but either way, that ought to be enough to have fans of Emerald Fennell’s film at least intrigued at the prospect of watching the late-’90s thriller.

Furthermore, with the upcoming Netflix limited series “Ripley,” with Andrew Scott, set to retell the events of “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” there’s never been a better time to watch the film. After all, considering the time jump and the expanded runtime, the upcoming series is bound to be different from the 1999 adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s book. Finally, with a cast that also includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Cate Blanchett, the film is an absolute showcase for its actors, on top of being a taut thriller.