{
  "id": 15658079,
  "title": "Helen Mirren is killer as Patricia Highsmith in cat-and-mouse thriller A Talent For Murder",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/helen-mirren-is-killer-as-patricia-highsmith-in-cat-and-mouse",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-19T13:00:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The A.V. Club",
    "slug": "the-a-v-club",
    "url": "https://www.avclub.com/a-talent-for-murder-review-patricia-highsmith-helen-mirren-alden-ehrenreich"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Anton Corbijn's A Talent For Murder offers a clever and intriguing drama that plays with audience expectations, as characters in the film constantly try to outsmart one another. The story is a fictionalized account of the final years of author Patricia Highsmith's life, focusing on her creative career, her fascination with murder and human behavior, as well as the crimes she wrote about. The film is not a flattering portrayal of the artist, but rather a funhouse version that portrays her as a bit deranged, disillusioned with humanity, and possibly dangerous. Based on the stage play Switzerland, A Talent For Murder follows up-and-coming publishing executive Edward (Alden Ehrenreich), who seeks to convince the enigmatic and cantankerous Highsmith (Helen Mirren) to write one more book featuring her star character, Ripley.\n\nEdward meets Clementine (Olivia Cooke), a fellow American, who becomes an inspiration for his writing exercises with Highsmith. Edward must navigate the writer's mind games and survive the tension between them. To appreciate A Talent For Murder, it's helpful to have some knowledge of Highsmith's work, but the movie provides necessary context, such as Ripley and Strangers On A Train.\n\nHelen Mirren delivers a captivating performance as Highsmith, embracing her dark and bitter alcoholic character, who is deeply isolated and suspicious of everyone. Her portrayal allows her to exude a sense of glee in her interactions with Edward, such as displaying her knife collection, provoking him, and discussing different ways to kill someone over breakfast. Despite her warnings, her actions suggest otherwise.\n\nEdward, played by Alden Ehrenreich, is a nervous lit agent who must create a murder-mystery that aligns with Highsmith's style and meets her high expectations. He employs a few costume changes, wearing relaxed shirts, glasses, stylish sweaters, and jackets, as he attempts to secure an inheritance through murder. Ehrenreich skillfully transitions between the roles of Edward and Mr. Ripley, conveying both characters' insecurity and nerve through his appearance and demeanor.\n\nThe film features a cat-and-mouse game between Edward and Highsmith, as the mousy protagonist tries to craft a murder mystery that fits Highsmith's style. While Mirren embodies Highsmith's villainous lesbian persona, Ehrenreich takes on dual roles, playing a nervous lit agent and the manifestation of Ripley in their fabricated story. Ehrenreich's dual performances, along with his costume changes, demonstrate his ability to express Edward's insecurity and Ripley's chilling nerve.\n\nA Talent For Murder also includes a subplot involving Edward's interactions with Clementine, an inspiration for his writing exercises. However, this relationship is less vital than his mental chess match with Highsmith. Corbijn's direction keeps the film engaging, despite the dated feeling of being trapped in a house where the host tries to scare off her guest. The most electric aspects of the film are undoubtedly the exchanges between Edward and Highsmith, as they engage in a struggle to assert dominance, reminiscent of a thriller in the study and while devising the mystery on the fly.",
  "summary": "Helen Mirren and Alden Ehrenreich go head-to-head over a murder-mystery in A Talent For Murder, where the former plays Patricia Highsmith.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}