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Cruel Intentions
1999 97 min United States of America R 18+
★6.8
Drama, Romance
Director: Roger Kumble
🎭 Based on
«Les Liaisons dangereuses»
byPierre Choderlos de Laclos
Trailers
Description
Slaking a thirst for dangerous games, Kathryn challenges her stepbrother, Sebastian, to deflower their headmaster's daughter before the summer ends. If he succeeds, the prize is the chance to bed Kathryn. But if he loses, Kathryn will claim his most prized possession.
Budget:
$10.5M
US Gross:
$38.77M
Worldwide:
$76.35M
Starring
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Actor
Ryan Phillippe
Actor
Reese Witherspoon
Actor
Awards
MTV Movie & TV Awards 2000
— Best Kiss
MTV Movie & TV Awards 2000
— Best Actress
MTV Movie & TV Awards 2000
— Breakthrough of the Year
MTV Movie & TV Awards 2000
— Best Actress
MTV Movie & TV Awards 2000
— Best Villain
Key opinion
Cruel Intentions is a modernized adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons that divides audiences between those who find it a gripping, emotionally resonant 90s classic and those who view it as a hollow, superficial teen melodrama. While the performances of the leads and the iconic soundtrack receive widespread praise, the film's tone and adaptation fidelity remain significant points of contention.
| Score | The film’s soundtrack, particularly the use of "Bittersweet Symphony" in the finale, is widely regarded as iconic and stylistically essential. | |
| Acting | The lead trio of Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Reese Witherspoon delivers compelling performances that effectively convey complex arcs of cruelty, charm, and vulnerability. | |
| Ending | The film features a striking and memorable finale that provides a definitive, emotionally satisfying resolution to the characters' manipulations. | |
| Theme | The film's tone and realism are polarizing; some viewers find the portrait of bored, manipulative wealthy youth deeply impactful and thought-provoking, while others dismiss the characters as unrealistic and the narrative as a shallow teen-soap melodrama. | |
| Adaptation | Opinions on the adaptation are split: supporters appreciate the clever transposition of 18th-century intrigue into a modern setting, while critics argue it lacks the intellectual depth and magnetic tension of the original novel. | |
| Screenplay | The writing is inconsistent; some find the plot's twists and manipulative games to be gripping and addictive, while others criticize the screenplay for being convoluted, cliché-ridden, and lacking in genuine emotional nuance. |