Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American teen drama film directed by Roger Kumble.
Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American teen drama film directed by Roger Kumble, set among wealthy Manhattan prep school students. It is a modern adaptation of the 1782 French novel *Les Liaisons dangereuses* and follows a manipulative wager between step-siblings.
What it is
Cruel Intentions is a teen drama and romance film released on March 5, 1999, with a runtime of 97 minutes and an R rating. The story centers on wealthy step-siblings Kathryn Merteuil and Sebastian Valmont, who make a wager involving seducing a chaste classmate, Annette Hargrove.
Why it matters
Though it received mixed reviews on release, the film has become a cult favourite and is remembered as a distinctive late-1990s teen drama. It helped define a cycle of Hollywood teen movies that also circulated widely in Canada through theatrical release, home video, and television.
Key details
The principal cast includes Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. The film's content—sexual situations, drug use, and manipulation—contributed to its R rating. It is a modern retelling of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's *Les Liaisons dangereuses*.
In short
- Cruel Intentions is a 1999 teen drama based on *Les Liaisons dangereuses*.
- It features a wager between wealthy step-siblings over seducing a chaste classmate.
- The film has a cult following and an R rating for mature content.
- It circulated widely in Canada as part of the late-1990s teen-movie cycle.
The film is part of the late-1990s Hollywood teen-movie cycle that also circulated widely in Canada through theatrical release, home video, and television broadcasting.
Quick questions
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Sources
- Rotten Tomatoes — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cruel_intentionsSupports: release year, runtime, rating, director, synopsis
- Common Sense Media — https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/cruel-intentionsSupports: release date, director, cast, rating, runtime, plot summary
- Digital Spy — https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a785476/10-incredible-facts-you-never-knew-about-cruel-intentions/Supports: modern retelling of *Les Liaisons dangereuses* and cultural reception
- IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139134/Supports: original title, plot details, cast identification
- Simple English Wikipedia — https://www.simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruel_IntentionsSupports: summary of plot, cast, release year, cult-favourite status