'Cruel Intentions' Prime Video Review: 2024 Remake Of 1999 Cult Classic Is Surprisingly Good

Teenage dramas have existed for as long as teens have been drumming up drama in schools and colleges. In the ’60s, there were Because They’re Young and Where the Boys Are. The ‘70s had American Graffiti, Grease, and Saturday Night Fever. The genre exploded in the ‘80s with movies like Dead Poets Society, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. And the ‘90s gave us The Basketball Diaries, Rushmore, 10 Things I Hate About You, and American Pie. But I think the movie that paved the way for stuff like Gossip Girl, Young Royals, 13 Reasons Why, Elite, Class, Euphoria, Maxton Hall, Hierarchy, and Untamed Royals was the cult classic, Cruel Intentions. It had adult actors playing high schoolers. It was filled to the brim with the risque stuff. And there was a lot of backstabbing and drugs involved. Since this particular subgenre of teen dramas is all the rage now, it was no surprise when Prime Video announced a series remake of the film. But the big question was, how was this show going to fare in a market full of movies and series that were inspired by it? Did it clear the bar that had been set by its disciples? Let’s find out.

Phoebe Fisher and Sara Goodman’s Cruel Intentions is set at the Manchester College, which is essentially ruled by the stepsiblings, Caroline and Lucien. Caroline is part of the sorority community, while Lucien is all about the frat clubs (the house that he belongs to is Alpha Gamma Zeta), and these institutions are collectively known as the Greeks. The house that Caroline hails from, Delta Phi Pi, is highly revered because of its exclusivity, and every girl wants to serve the Queen Bee since being in her circle opens up opportunities for the future. But the unspoken rule is that anyone who wants to be accepted by Caroline has to partake in some sexual activities with Lucien, that too on camera. I think CeCe got a pass because she is Caroline’s P.A. Anyway, given how Lucien is a good-looking guy, nobody really minds it, and the wheel keeps turning. That’s until the daughter of the Vice President of America, Annie Grover, shows up at the campus. Caroline obviously wants Annie to join her fraternity, but all signs point to the fact that she won’t. So, Caroline tasks Lucien with seducing Annie. However, since it’s such a difficult job, Lucien asks Caroline to up the stakes. Caroline says that if Lucien ropes in Annie, then he’ll get to have sex with his stepsister. On that note, Lucien gets to work.

Let’s get one thing straight: Prime Video’s Cruel Intentions is more of a remake of the 1999 film by Roger Kumble (who serves as one of the executive producers of the show) and less of an adaptation of Les Liaisons dangereuses. I say that because the show borrows the film’s aesthetic, the cocaine crucifix, the sunglasses, the car, and even plot elements like Lucien’s recorded history of his sexual escapades, the teacher-student romance, and the visit to the old-age home, etc. So, there’s nothing new about that. The politics around sororities and fraternities have been done to death. Hence, seeing all that in the show didn’t seem interesting at all. And since I’ve already seen versions of Caroline, Lucien, and Annie in the aforementioned movies and shows and countless other wannabe-scandalous teen dramas, as long as the Prime Video show oscillated between nostalgia and the central trio, it didn’t work for me at all. In fact, it made me wonder whether the show would be worth a watch at all if it wasn’t for the title of the cult classic. But that’s when CeCe Carroway, Blaise Powell, and Scott Russell came into the picture and compelled me to completely change my opinion. That’s a roundabout way of saying that, if you’re like me and you don’t necessarily like these lustful teen dramas, you’ll have to tolerate the first four episodes to get to the good part.

Without spoiling anything, Cruel Intentions sacrifices its main trio to flesh out the three characters who had been wronged by the original film. CeCe, the upgraded version of Cecil Caldwell, is a hyperactive nerd with a heart of gold. She gets the best lines in the show, and she helps us look at sorority life from a perspective that we rarely get to see, i.e., the Queen Bee’s pet. She initially feels annoying, but she becomes the soul of the show after that halfway mark. Blaise, the upgraded version of Blaine Tuttle, isn’t defined by his sexual preferences. He has a chip on his shoulder that motivates every decision that he takes. And Blaise’s journey underscores the show’s metacommentary on how the feedback loop of teenage dramas with inhuman characters pushes teenagers to be inhumane in real life, which in turn is leading to a higher demand for inhumane teen dramas, which I think is excellent. Scott Russell, the upgraded version of Greg McConnell, pretty much embodies the show’s stance on progressive politics and classism, for better or for worse. Oh, yes, the writers’ depiction of the cool right-wing coded characters and the miserable left-wing coded characters is dicey yet interesting due to America’s current socio-political climate.

Coming to the visuals, Cruel Intentions doesn’t accentuate its expensive production design and costumes with its cinematography and editing. Most of it feels very hollow and derivative. I mean, say what you want to say about the original film; at the very least, it looked amazing. That said, you can ignore all these flaws due to the performances from the supporting cast of the Prime Video show. As mentioned before, Sara Silva, in the role of Cece Carroway, is the heart and soul of this project. I think that a lot of modern actors can’t (or are not allowed to) speak clearly. They always mumble, and they are unable to enunciate words properly. So, unless you have your subtitles on, they won’t be able to hold your attention. That’s why it was particularly refreshing to see the energy and clarity that Silva brought to the table. John Harlan Kim captures Blaise’s charismatic and conniving nature perfectly. By the end, I didn’t know if I should hate him or appreciate his gall, and that’s great. Khobe Clarke’s whole lost-in-translation act had me chuckling, and the honesty with which he portrayed his character’s naivete and confusion made me empathize with him. Sarah Catherine Hook (who kind of looks like Reese Witherspoon), Zac Burgess (who does look a lot like Ryan Phillippe), and Savannah Lee Smith (who looks like herself) were alright. Sean Patrick Thomas’ return to the IP was a welcome one. Claire Forlani’s cameo was good. The rest of the supporting cast, especially Brooke Lena Johnson and Zeke Goodman, were brilliant.

Despite my initial apprehensions about the Prime Video show, I think Cruel Intentions is definitely worth a watch, and this is coming from a guy who detests these kinds of movies and shows because they usually exist to satiate people’s need to fetishize teens. The show’s commentary on on-screen cruelty as a result of real-life cruelty, which is perpetuated by on-screen cruelty, really caught me by surprise. The original film isn’t exactly known for being a nuanced portrayal of, well, anything. So, kudos to the writers for injecting some much-needed substance into the sleazy source material. In case you missed my praise for CeCe, Blaise, and Scott, here’s me reiterating my point that these characters are three of the best facets of this Gen Z remake of the cult classic. Did it clear the bar that had been set by the disciples of the original film? In my opinion, yes, it did. But here’s an even more important question: Do I want to watch more seasons of Cruel Intentions? Yes, I do. I have a condition though, and that is, the focus needs to be on CeCe, Blaise, and Scott. The central trio can have the spotlight from time to time, but they have to let the supporting trio spread their wings just because they’re more interesting to me.