Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- cynical
- provocative
- darkly comic
- late night viewing
- teen movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film attractive and darkly entertaining but uneven, with inconsistent performances and an underwritten script undermining its provocative literary premise.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Kathryn and Sebastian manipulate classmates through bets, seduction, revenge, and reputation games within an affluent school community.
Sebastian approaches Annette as a wager while using charm and sexual strategy to control the people around him.
The film frames cynical sexuality, cruelty, and social privilege through an attractive young cast and sleek late-1990s teen styling.
Roger Kumble adapts Choderlos de Laclos's novel into an American high-school story centered on step-siblings and their social circle.
Films like Cruel Intentions, and why
The Last Seduction
shared themes of sexual manipulation, privileged social circles, and corrosive romantic power games
Wild Things
shared teen melodrama, erotic intrigue, cynical social performance, and morally compromised characters
Dangerous Liaisons
shared literary adaptation, forbidden desire, upper-class decadence, and destructive interpersonal schemes
Movie Details
- Director
- Roger Kumble
- Release Date
- 1999-03-05
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (3699)
Cast
- Sarah Michelle Gellar
- Ryan Phillippe
- Reese Witherspoon
- Selma Blair
- Louise Fletcher
- Joshua Jackson
- Eric Mabius
- Sean Patrick Thomas
- Swoosie Kurtz
- Christine Baranski
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hulu, Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Cruel Intentions about?
- Two privileged step-siblings turn seduction, reputation, and a summer wager into a vicious game of emotional control.
- What is Cruel Intentions like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Cruel Intentions as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Cruel Intentions violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Cruel Intentions as mild.
- What did critics think of Cruel Intentions?
- Critics broadly found the film attractive and darkly entertaining but uneven, with inconsistent performances and an underwritten script undermining its provocative literary premise.
- Which films are like Cruel Intentions?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last Seduction, Wild Things, and Dangerous Liaisons.
- How long is Cruel Intentions?
- Cruel Intentions runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Cruel Intentions?
- In United States, Cruel Intentions streams on Hulu, Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
