Yes, it's derivative, and yes, if you have even moderate familiarity with movies from the last few decades you will think "The Talented Mr. Ripley" fairly early during its runtime. However, for the most part, I enjoyed it. Barry Keoghan never disappoints me. Whether he is playing a suicidal dullard in "The Banshees of Inisherin" or a psychotic mastermind in this movie (and many other roles in between), he is always brilliant.
For me, unfortunately its third act is probably its most memorable feature because it requires an enormous suspension of disbelief. Rosamund's Elspeth character invites Keoghan's Oliver character into her home yet again even though his history there is unbelievably dubious. She claimed that she felt guilty about his exile, but one wonders about her motives. Was she trying to have sex with him at that point? Rosamund Pike is an ageless, gorgeous woman, and her character had endless wealth--she didn't need an average-looking poor guy in her life. Also, why did she sign away her fortune to him so quickly? Was she not suspicious about her sudden illness with him in her life again? The butler, who observes everything obsessively, remained a presence there. Even if Elspeth took leave of her senses, wouldn't he intercede? The third act defies any sort of logic.
But again, it was worth watching.
For me, unfortunately its third act is probably its most memorable feature because it requires an enormous suspension of disbelief. Rosamund's Elspeth character invites Keoghan's Oliver character into her home yet again even though his history there is unbelievably dubious. She claimed that she felt guilty about his exile, but one wonders about her motives. Was she trying to have sex with him at that point? Rosamund Pike is an ageless, gorgeous woman, and her character had endless wealth--she didn't need an average-looking poor guy in her life. Also, why did she sign away her fortune to him so quickly? Was she not suspicious about her sudden illness with him in her life again? The butler, who observes everything obsessively, remained a presence there. Even if Elspeth took leave of her senses, wouldn't he intercede? The third act defies any sort of logic.
But again, it was worth watching.