# Cruel Intentions (2024)

> Two ruthless step-siblings at an elite Washington, D.C.-adjacent university manipulate the campus social hierarchy to protect their power after a hazing scandal.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/146701

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 8
- Episode runtime: 43 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama
- Created by: Phoebe Fisher, Sara Goodman
- Network: Prime Video
- Cast: Sarah Catherine Hook, Zac Burgess, Savannah Lee Smith, Sara Silva, John Harlan Kim, Khobe Clarke, Brooke Lena Johnson, Sean Patrick Thomas
- TMDB rating: 5.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15532306/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: glossy, cynical, sensual, tense, cutthroat

## What critics say

Audience reception is negative, with viewers finding the series a weak follow-up to its source material.

## Synopsis

Cruel Intentions (2024) is an American prestige teen drama series created by Phoebe Fisher and Sara Goodman for Prime Video. Set at an elite university in the Washington, D.C. area, it follows two ruthless step-siblings, Caroline Merteuil (Sarah Catherine Hook) and Lucien Belmont (Zac Burgess), who will do anything to stay on top of a cutthroat campus social order. When a brutal hazing incident threatens the entire Greek Life system, the pair scramble to protect their power and reputation, which leads them into seduction and manipulation aimed at the daughter of the Vice President of the United States. Annie Grover (Savannah Lee Smith) and Cece Carroway (Sara Silva) move through the same world of parties, fraternity rivalries and secrets, while Professor Hank Chadwick (Sean Patrick Thomas) adds an institutional layer. The engine of the show is who gets exposed and who keeps the crown, with each episode built from shifting alliances, humiliations and reputational traps. Its tone is glossy, sharp and sensual, with a cynical edge and a mood of simmering dread. Viewers who enjoy Gossip Girl or the scheming of Dangerous Liaisons will recognize its appetite for elite cruelty. The eight-episode single season was canceled, and its story stands unfinished.

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