Common Sense Media Review
By Jenny Nixon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sex, language, drugs in stale remake of 1990s fave.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Cruel Intentions
What's the Story?
CRUEL INTENTIONS is an eight-episode series inspired by the 1999 film of the same name, which centered on high school rich kids manipulating one another for kicks. In this iteration, bratty step-siblings Caroline (Sarah Catherine Hook) and Lucien (Zac Burgess) are in college, where they quite literally rule the school—in Caroline's case, as president of Delta Phi Pi. After a hazing scandal at Lucien's frat threatens to derail the Greek system entirely, damaging their ability to flex their power and popularity, Caroline hatches a scheme to get the school's most notable new student to join her sorority: Annie Grover (Savannah Lee Smith), daughter of the vice president of the United States. Her plan? Get her sleazy step-brother to seduce Annie, which he agrees to do in exchange for the promise of bedding Caroline herself.
Is It Any Good?
The 1999 film this series was inspired by led to multiple sequels and failed attempts at bringing the story to television; none—including this one—have replicated the OG's smutty but amusing appeal. Maybe it's poor casting, maybe it's the clunky scripts and repeated call-backs to the film, or maybe it's the fact that Cruel Intentions is just a story that's been rehashed too many times already. Consider that even the 1999 film was inspired by another film, Dangerous Liaisons (1988), which was inspired by a French novel from 1782. That's a long time to kick around this particular storyline, and unless you're bringing something new and noteworthy to the table beyond changing the scenery and aging up or gender-swapping the characters, it's just not one worth rehashing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why the characters behave the way they do. Why are Caroline and Lucien so manipulative? How do their family dynamics and upbringing affect their behavior?
Talk about the relationship between the professor and his teaching assistant. Why might their involvement with one another be problematic?
TV Details
- Premiere date : November 21, 2024
- Cast : Sarah Catherine Hook , Zac Burgess , Savannah Lee Smith
- Network : Prime Video
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : November 25, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate