The American Friend (1977)

Tom Ripley, an American who deals in forged art, is slighted at an auction in Hamburg by picture framer Jonathan Zimmerman. When Ripley is asked by gangster Raoul Minot to kill a rival, he suggests Zimmerman, and the two, exploiting Zimmerman's terminal illness, coerce him into being a hitman.

Genres: Drama, Thriller, Crime

What to watch after The American Friend

• Faraway, So Close! (1993) — Same feel: complex, melancholy
• Kings of the Road (1976) — Same subject: male friendship
• Until the End of the World (1991) — Wim Wenders directed both
• Europa (1991) — Same feel: dark, complex
• The Killers (1946) — Same subject: murder
• The Informer (1935) — Same subject: friendship