Reboot of 90s Classic Misses the Mark

         On November 21, 2024, Prime Video released 'Cruel Intentions', which is a reboot of the classic film of the same name. Unfortunately, fate was cruel as the series failed to win over critics, earning a score of 36% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the series, "At Manchester College, step-siblings Caroline and Lucien work to stay atop of the social ladder; after a hazing scandal, they plot to seduce, Annie Grover, the daughter of the Vice President of the United States, to maintain power." The ensemble cast includes Zac Burgess, Sarah Catherine Hook, John Harlan Kim, Laura Benanti, and Claire Forlani. But what did the critics say?

        Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho? A Geek Community says, "Savannah Lee Smith as Annie Grover, Khobe Clarke as Scott Russell, Sean Patrick Thomas as Professor Hank Chadwick, and Brooke Lena Johnson as Beatrice Worth are all serviceable enough in their roles. Still, the siblings should be the leading force of the series. Instead, Sarah Catherine Hook’s Caroline and Zac Burgess’ Lucien are too timid and mild to even sit at the same table as their Ryan Phillippe and Sarah Michelle Gellar-Prince counterparts. The entire series feels like kids cosplaying adults trying to shock a viewer. And none of it is endearing. There is no charisma, no fashion touchstones, and absolutely nothing memorable. This is a property that should have stayed in 1999. Cruel Intentions (2024) is not good, and I see no real possibility of season two taking it beyond a limited series."

       Hannah J Davies of Guardian writes, "Really, this feels like a generic teen series by any other name. You can’t help but wonder what the writers might have come up with had they not been confined by the streaming economy’s desperate need for nostalgia." Continuing, "Neighbours alumnus John Harlan Kim also proves that Ramsay Street remains a finishing school for some of TV’s best actors, taking on the role of Janus-faced frat boy Blaise with a thrilling mix of icy detachment and desperate insecurity. Also working overtime is Savannah Lee Smith, previously seen in the Gossip Girl reboot. Her character, Annie, is a reimagining of Witherspoon’s Annette: a new Delta recruit who is swept into Caroline and Lucien’s sexually manipulative games to the sound of an Olivia Rodrigo megamix."

       Carly Lane of Collider notes, "This Cruel Intentions wants to wield the same darker, taboo elements that the movie unapologetically displayed 25 years ago, but ultimately shies away from any real ruthlessness, and therefore fails at having any teeth at all."

Photo by Thibault Penin on Unsplash