Ripley's Game (2002)

Ripley’s Game (2002), a thriller directed by Liliana Cavani, is based on the eponymous novel by Patricia Highsmith from her series about the anti-hero Tom Ripley. The story follows Ripley as he partners with British gangster Reeves in an art forgery scheme in Berlin. But when he discovers that Reeves has attempted to cheat him, Ripley takes matters into his own hands. He forces Reeves’ customer to hand over the money intended for the forgeries at gunpoint and kills the man’s bodyguard. In addition, he also reclaims the stolen artwork for himself and coldly ends their partnership. Three years later, Ripley enjoys a luxurious life with his wife Luisa in a villa in Veneto. One day, while attending a party hosted by his neighbor, Jonathan Trevanny insults Ripley and alludes to his questionable reputation. After briefly confronting him, Ripley promptly leaves the party.

Reeves resurfaces, much to Ripley’s annoyance, asking him to eliminate a rival mobster. Ripley suggests Trevanny for the job as payback for the insult. Assuming Trevanny, a law-abiding art framer with a terminal illness, is an assassin, Reeves offers him a large sum to complete the task. Initially hesitant, a puzzled Trevanny eventually agrees in order to secure his family’s financial future after his death. Under the guise of seeking medical treatment for his leukemia, Trevanny travels to Berlin and successfully eliminates the target at a museum. Though initially declining Reeves’ offer of additional compensation to take out another mobster on a train, Trevanny ultimately succumbs to pressure when Reeves threatens his loved ones.