Joey Magidson
There’s a version of A Talent for Murder that plays far more like a biographical drama. Now, to be fair, that’s not the film that we got, and consider that a positive. A dry look at author Patricia Highsmith and her life wouldn’t have nearly the juice this fictionalized lark has. The movie here instead is a chamber thriller with a clever little hook. Playing at the 2026 SCAD Savannah Film Festival, this is an enjoyable genre piece, one that has a little bit extra to offer up.
A Talent for Murder makes the devious decision to mix Highsmith the person with Highsmith’s work. Those familiar with her character Tom Ripley will relish what’s being done here. One might quibble with how much Highsmith is or isn’t on the screen, but the flick does a very solid job of keeping you engaged throughout.
New York literary agent Edward Ridgeway (Alden Ehrenreich) has been dispatched to Switzerland with a sole goal. He must convince reclusive author Patricia Highsmith (Helen Mirren) to begin work on one final installment of her popular series of Tom Ripley books. Highsmith is immediately dismissive of Ridgeway, preparing to shoo him away, but at the last minute, he intrigues her enoough to have him spend the night.
As Highsmith and Ridgeway feel each other out, we also see Ridgeway, or maybe it’s Tom Ripley, meeting and wooing the attractive and wealthy Clementine (Olivia Cooke). As they begin a relationship, Ridgeway/Ripley begins to put a dastardly plan into motion. How much of this is the potential book Highsmith is being urged to write? How much of it is a retelling of an actual crime. There’s no clear answer, also presenting the possibility that this is all in Highsmith’s head.
Helen Mirren is an enjoyably flinty battle axe here, making Patricia Highsmith a larger than life figure. If there’s one complaint to be had in regards to Mirren, it’s that she’s not on the screen enough. The plot benefits from not wholly focusing on her, but acting wise, one would have enjoyed more of Mirren as Highsmith. At the same time, Alden Ehrenreich is very good here as well, making Ridgeway/Ripley as charming and unassuming as they are dangerous. It’s another nice showcase for Ehrenreich, who deserves more roles of this ilk. Olivia Cooke is good, if somewhat underused, though her chemistry with Ehrenreich is very solid. Supporting players here include James Faulkner, Juliet Stevenson, and more.
Director Anton Corbijn returns with his first feature in more than a decade, adapting Joanna Murray-Smith‘s play Switzerland (Murray-Smith wrote the screenplay for her own adaptation). The split between Highsmith and Ridgeway opposite Ripley and Clementine tends to favor the latter, though it’s the more dramatic of the stories. The film does run a little long, as 105 minutes includes some padding, but Corbijn is delighting in making this feel devious. Hopefully we don’t have to wait another ten years for another flick from him.
A Talent for Murder is nothing to go wild over, but it is undeniably an engaging chamber piece. There’s some devilish fun to be had here, both at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival and now that the movie is in wide release. If you like Ehrenreich, Highsmith, or Mirren, this is one to give a shot to.
SCORE: ★★★
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