Question: Maybe I missed a major plot point, but why exactly does Tom kill his lover at the very end?
ChristmasJonesfan
3rd Aug 2004
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Answer: He had to kill him. Tom couldn't kill Meredith because she wasn't travelling alone, and Peter was.
Chosen answer: Tom and his lover, Peter, are travelling on a boat. Meredith, who knows Tom as Dickie, is also on the boat. If they were to meet her while together, Tom's false identity would have been revealed. Peter would have been able to figure out that Tom actually murdered Dickie.
marfbody