What could be more important than power? When it comes to Amazon’s new show “Cruel Intentions” the answer is nothing. This remake of the cult classic “Cruel Intentions” (1999) brings a captivating world of manipulation and desire to a new generation.
“Cruel Intentions” was released in 1999, and the world was introduced to the twisted tale of stepsiblings Kathryn (Sarah Michell Gellar) and Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe) as they set their sights on corrupting the young and innocent Annette (Reese Witherspoon). After the release of the original movie, came “Cruel Intentions 2” (2000), a prequel to the original, “Cruel Intentions 3” (2004), which told the story of Kathryn’s cousin. There was even a jukebox musical “Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical” which told the original story using songs such as Christina Aguilera’s “Genie in a Bottle” and NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye.”
Now we have “Cruel Intentions,” the Amazon Prime show released in November 2024. Unlike the previous sequels and prequels to the original 1999 film, this new show is more of a remake, featuring the same plot but with new characters and in a new setting.
Set at the fictional, elite university, Manchester College, Caroline Merteuil (Sarah Catherine Hook) is busy trying to save her sorority after a hazing incident that occurred at one of the Greek events the year prior, putting all of Greek life on thin ice. In walks Annie Grover (Savannah Lee Smith), an innocent freshman and, more importantly, the vice president of the United States’ daughter. Caroline knows nobody will mess with her sorority if it means messing with the vice president’s daughter so she turns to her step-brother Lucien Belmont (Zac Burgess) with a bet: if he can seduce Annie and convince her to join Delta Phi then Caroline will sleep with him. However, if he fails at this task then she gets his car.
Now I know you are probably thinking that this plot sounds insane. Even if they aren’t related by blood, the familial bond between Caroline and Lucien gives me the same weird feeling I had when watching the 1999 “Cruel Intentions” and seeing the relationship between Kathryn and Sebastien. I found myself repeating that they weren’t siblings at every romantic, if not highly manipulative, moment between the two characters. But if you’re able to look past the fact Caroline and Sebastien are related by marriage, their relationship becomes one of the most compelling parts of the show.
At its core, “Cruel Intentions” is all about relationships, and more importantly who holds the power in them. For Caroline there’s nothing more important than having control over those around her, making her one of the most interesting characters in the show. Even when things seem out of control to the audience, she keeps her composure and everything seems to go her way. With a character like that, you are always kept guessing and entertained.
My favorite part of the show though is the relationship between Annie and Lucien. Though many fans of Amazon’s “Cruel Intentions” have taken to TikTok in support of Lucien and Caroline’s relationship, there’s just something sweet and simple about Annie and Lucien that has me rooting for them. Yes, for most of the show you know he’s manipulating her, but it's those moments of vulnerability between the two characters that remind me of my favorite romance novels. When Lucien is with Annie you want to believe he can change, and you want to root for them.
The one thing that does tie this new show in with its predecessor is the return of Sean Patrick Thomas, who plays Ronald Clifford, a young music teacher who has a romantic relationship with Cecile Caldwell (Selma Blair). However, Thomas does not return to his role as Robert in this new series but instead enters the role of Professor Hank Chadwick, the new young teacher at Manchester University who becomes romantically involved with his teacher’s assistant Cece Carroway (Sara Silva).
While I enjoyed the show, this felt like the biggest letdown in the series. Though the show never makes any direct connections to the original movie there definitely was an opportunity for Thomas to reprise his original role that was missed out on here. I don’t need a million references to the original film in this remake, especially when this new series kind of does its own thing in so many ways, but a small homage to the movie that started all this wouldn’t hurt.
Overall, this was an entertaining watch. If you are into shows full of drama, trust me it won’t get more dramatic than this. Just don’t go into it expecting this to be as good as the original movie. If you spend the entire time comparing the two, you won’t really get anywhere. When it comes to Amazon’s “Cruel Intentions” I think it’s more enjoyable to just sit back and watch the scandal unfold.
