Ripley Under Ground (2005)

Based on Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley series, Ripley Under Ground (2005), a crime thriller, was directed by Roger Spottiswoode. The movie revolves around the death of Tom Ripley’s friend Philip Derwatt, an accomplished artist who perishes in a car accident. To honor his memory and make some quick cash, Ripley, along with Jeff Constant, Bernard Sayles, and Cynthia (Derwatt’s girlfriend), devise a plan for Bernard to forge more of Derwatt’s paintings. In order to keep their secret safe, they hide Derwatt’s body in a freezer. Adding to the intrigue is Ripley’s new relationship with Héloïse Plisson from the château ‘Belle Ombre’ near Paris where she lives with her father Antoine. However, Antoine is suspicious of Ripley due to his questionable past. Despite this tension, Ripley gives Héloïse a tomato plant as a symbol of their budding romance.

Art collector Neil Murchison is dissatisfied with his purchase of a painting by ‘Derwatt’, claiming it to be a fake. In an attempt to prove its authenticity, Ripley forges a letter from Derwatt. However, Murchison remains skeptical and decides to pay a visit to the real Derwatt in Belle Ombre. To his surprise, he finds that Derwatt is actually Ripley in disguise. A physical altercation breaks out between the two men, resulting in Murchison’s untimely death after falling and hitting his head. In the midst of the chaos, Héloïse’s dogs snatch Murchison’s toupee as it falls off during the scuffle. Ripley quickly takes care of Murchison’s body and hastily gets rid of any evidence before Héloïse and her father return home. Detective John Webster arrives at Belle Ombre to investigate Murchison’s death and resorts to covert tactics to obtain Ripley’s fingerprints for further investigation.