Prime Video adds 'must-see' thriller dubbed the 'original Saltburn'
Viewers who enjoyed Saltburn may love Amazon Prime's latest addition
Amazon Prime Video has recently added a highly-acclaimed thriller to its line-up, which viewers dubbed as the 'original Saltburn.'
The Talented Mr Ripley, which debuted in 1999, predates Saltburn by 24 years, yet shares striking similarities.
Based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel, the 90s thriller revolves around Tom Ripley, an American con artist tasked with convincing Dickie Greenleaf, the son of a wealthy man, to return to New York City from Italy.
When Tom fails in his mission, he becomes enamoured with Dickie's lavish lifestyle and resorts to extreme measures to claim it for himself.
The film boasts an impressive cast, including Jude Law as Dickie, Matt Damon as Tom, and Gwyneth Paltrow as Dickie's girlfriend Marge.
Despite being set in different locations - Saltburn in the British countryside and The Talented Mr Ripley in Italy - viewers have noticed a common thread between the two storylines.
In Saltburn, Oliver Quick is invited to spend the summer at his affluent friend Felix Catton's family estate, only to manipulate his way into seizing the Catton family's wealth.
Following its release, viewers took to social media to highlight the similarities, with one X user succinctly stating: "The Talented Mr Ripley...original Saltburn."
Meanwhile, Reddit users sparked a discussion in which one person voiced out: "Saltburn is a blatant rip off of The Talented Mr Ripley", adding: "The entire film follows nearly every plot point from the talented Mr Ripley."
However, not everyone agreed, with one person firing back: "Both movies are great. You do point out all the similarities, but it's different enough, imo, to not be a rip off", reports Surrey Live.
The voice behind Saltburn, director Emerald Fennell, later stepped up to set the record straight, saying her creation was born from the quintessentially British Country House genre and not The Talented Mr Ripley.
Chatting to Radio Times, she expressed her admiration for Patricia Highsmith yet explained: "I mean, obviously Highsmith is one of my absolute favourites, but I think that I was sort of looking more at that British Country House tradition of The Go-Between and that sort of very specific British... sort of Joseph Losey world, where class and power and sex all kind of collide in one specific place."
Viewer reactions to both Saltburn and its alleged inspiration were generally positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, one person praised The Talented Mr Ripley: "Compelling thriller that preceded others which dealt with similar themes."
They added: "A deep character study about sociopathy, identity, and what we'll do for material and social wealth-all while being upheld by an all-star cast. A must-see for thriller fans."
Another cinema enthusiast kept their review short but sweet, writing: "Creepy and excellent. Great cast."
The Talented Mr Ripley and Saltburn are streaming on Amazon Prime Video.