Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a television series in which every shot could be framed as a work of art hanging on the wall of a select gallery. It is written and directed by Steven Saillian, who won an Academy Award for the screenplay of Schindler's List in 1993. By taking on these two fundamental roles, he meticulously controls the final product, transforming the work into a sensory delight made possible by the black-and-white cinematography and the urban sounds of large cities or small Mediterranean towns. Ripley's Believe It or Not! tells the story of a psychopath who adapts his methods to manipulate his victims; in other words, he survives thanks to the facade he uses to conceal his true intentions. Similarly, the series' aesthetic is key to understanding the reason for the appeal this "villain" holds for viewers.

In RIPLEY, deception, seduction, and murder are the steps Tom Ripley takes to climb the social ladder. The character stars in five novels written by Patricia Highsmith, and this television series is based on the first, THE TALENT OF MR. RIPLEY, published in 1955. This novel has also spawned two films, PURPLE NOON in 1960 and THE TALENT OF MR. RIPLEY in 1999. In both, the male roles are notable for the actors' physical attractiveness, but in the television series, they don't look particularly "handsome"; rather, they appear unsettling. Andrew Scott, who plays Ripley, manages to stare coldly, almost metallicly, while his smile is forced. When only the camera sees him, it becomes clear that if the viewer were to cross paths with him, they might not live to see the next day.

In Ripley's Believe It or Not, references to Caravaggio, the Italian Baroque painter, are frequent. This cultural movement used art as a tool of propaganda. It was used to try to convince Catholics in the 1600s of the virtues of the Roman Catholic Church, contrasting them with the religious practices of northern European countries. Thus, in an era when few could read, painting and art became the means of transmitting ideas to the faithful. Truth, then, is what is seen. With this premise, the psychopath Tom Ripley changes his appearance, creates new truths, and deceives the unwary. For Tom, the world is a puppet show, and he is the one pulling the strings. He is both the protagonist and the villain of the film. Tom Ripley represents the well-mannered monster that some people harbor within themselves. With him, the fantasy of total control is fulfilled using only the qualities one was born with: Ripley is the little demon that everyone hides in their heart.