Patricia Highsmith earned limited initial mainstream attention in Hollywood, save for Alfred Hitchcock who saw potential in her work for cinema. The North American author found a warmer reception in Europe, where Hitchcock’s early adaptations flourished in France and did not gain a strong foothold in the United States until later, when a British director, Anthony Minghella, released a version after Highsmith’s passing.
Aliens on a train
Alfred Hitchcock
Shortly after the breakthrough success of Highsmith’s first novel, Hitchcock brought this tale to the screen, weaving a plot about two strangers planning to share their crimes. The director and screenwriter, Raymond Chandler, reimagined the original architect as a tennis champion. It may read as an allegory about good and evil, yet it also reflects the ambitions of a rising figure who wants his ordinary wife out of the way to wed someone more promising.
Patricia Highsmith: unhealthy writer shows off her most intimate roles
Full Sun
René Clément
This early adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley marked a striking ending, divergent from Highsmith’s darker impulses but visually impactful. Alain Delon’s magnetism as Ripley drew laughs from critics who joked that it seemed implausible for such a striking actor to imagine playing a villain with such cold precision.
American Friend
Wim Wenders
There is no note in Highsmith’s diaries about Delon, yet the director describes meeting the screenwriter Peter Handke, who would later win the Nobel Prize. A hallmark of the new German cinema, this adaptation casts Ripley through the lens of Dennis Hopper, while Bruno Ganz embodies a terminally ill craftsman who becomes entangled in murder to secure a future for his family.
Owl’s Cry
Claude Chabrol
A man newly separated and deeply unsettled discovers a refuge in a country house. He contemplates the quiet lives of his neighbors, and especially his own, finding in Chabrol’s suspenseful touch a way to connect with Highsmith’s unsettling universe.
Mr. Ripley’s Talent
Anthony Minghella
The director of The English Patient captured the mood and beauty of the Italian coast while delivering a nuanced adaptation that many felt surpassed the Delon version. Initially, Matt Damon did not seem like an obvious fit for the title character, yet he brought a surprising blend of innocence and menace that defines the killer beneath the charming exterior.
Ripley’s Game
Liliana Cavani
Ripley’s appearance here channels John Malkovich, which stands out as one of the most notable aspects of the adaptation. It adheres more closely to Highsmith’s novel than Wenders’ later American Friend, with Cavani’s directorial credibility and relentless intensity driving the film.
Song
Todd Haynes
The novel, originally published under a pseudonym by Highsmith, appeared in 1990 as Carol. Haynes delivered a poised, deeply affecting drama anchored by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, whose performances explore class divisions, moral boundaries, and a love that resists societal judgment with quiet fervor.
Deep Water
Adrian Lyne
This final cinematic entry into Highsmith’s universe revisits a tale already explored by a French director with Isabelle Huppert and Jean-Louis Trintignant. Lyne, known for a certain forgettable erotic thriller vibe, presents a different flavor of the same intrigue. In the film, the long-anticipated chemistry between Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas is notably absent, left instead to suggest the peril of desire rather than showcase it.