The 1999 cult classic romantic drama thriller Cruel intentions got an all-new remake on the small screen, and Amazon Prime Video put a new spin on the romantic thriller. Loosely based on the 18th century French novel Dangerous ConnectionsThe story concerns two wealthy stepbrothers who have carefully crafted their social lives while attending college. Things take a dark turn when a hazing incident threatens their position, and they will do anything to maintain their status. Much like the original film, the TV remake aimed to destroy social structures with an exciting, modern approach.
In an era of TV movie remakes, Cruel intentions It seemed like a logical project, and shows about college never failed to intrigue viewers. Interestingly, the Cruel intentions The TV remake isn’t the first attempt at a franchise, and the 1999 box office hit spawned two direct-to-video sequels in the early 2000s. While these sequels pale in comparison to the original, they proved that the concept has a timeless quality that makes the TV remake all the more logical and necessary. Amazon Prime Video is no stranger to romantic thrillers and Cruel intentions is another prestige series for the streamer.
The Cruel Intentions TV Remake Critical Reception
Pan Prime Video Critics’ Take on Cruel Intentions
The show’s initial critical reception was overwhelmingly negative, with the streaming exclusive earning a paltry 37% score on Metacritic.
With TV remakes of hit films always a gamble, it seems that Prime Video’s approach Cruel intentions it was a failure. The show’s initial critical reception was overwhelmingly negative, with the streaming exclusive earning a paltry 37% score on Metacritic. The consensus is that Cruel intentions It fails to deliver the same intriguing sensuality that made the 1999 original so enjoyable, and everything is generally bland. The Guardian considered the remake as “generic” while Variety went so far as to call him “obsolete” and “not sexy at all.”
Screen speech made a similar criticism, trashing the project for its stilted writing and poor handling of such interesting characters. While Prime Video clearly has a plan for a bigger series, the poor critical reception doesn’t bode well for more seasons of Cruel intentions.
The Cruel Intentions TV Remake Cast
A new cast of cruel college students
Although the cast of Cruel intentions is made up of entirely new faces, but features an actor who returns from the original film in a new role. Sean Patrick Thomas had one of his first film roles in the 1999 original as Ronald, and he appears in the series as a completely different character, Professor Chadwick. As for the new cast, Sarah Catherine Hook and Zac Burgess star as Caroline and Luciusrespectively, two half-brothers who aspire to climb the social ladder in college.
Savannah Lee Smith plays Annie Groverdaughter of the Vice President of the United States who is falsely seduced by Caroline and Lucius. Caroline’s mother, Claudia, is played by Laura Benanti, and Jon Tenney was chosen to play U.S. Congressman Russell. Khobe Clarke’s Scott, Sara Silva’s CeCe, and John Harlan Kim’s Blaise make up several of Caroline and Lucius’ classmates and round out the supporting cast.
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Actor |
Role of cruel intentions |
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Sarah Catherine Hook |
Carolina |
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Zac Burgess |
Pike |
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Savannah Lee Smith |
Annie Grover |
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Khobe Clarke |
Scott |
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Brooke Lena Johnson |
Beatrice |
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Sarah Silva |
CeCe |
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John Harlan Kim |
Blasio |
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Sean Patrick Thomas |
Professor Chadwick |
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Jon Tenney |
Congressman Russell |
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Claire Forlani |
Claudia |
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Nikki Crawford |
Mrs. |
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Zeke Goodman |
Brian Blandsman |
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Cruel Intentions TV Remake Trailer
Watch the full trailer below
In anticipation of the show’s November debut, Amazon Prime Video released a full trailer to Cruel intentions. Highlighting the connection between the original film and the remake, the trailer is punctuated by a cover of the 90s classic “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve. The trailer features Lucius and Caroline as they devise their plan to seduce Annie Grover (daughter of the US Vice President). They do this to prevent sororities and fraternities from being shut down, but their plan isn’t as simple as it seems. The sexual drama turns into a campus-wide battle for social supremacy.
The Cruel Intentions TV remake ending and spoilers
Some important changes at the end of the film
Although many expected the TV remake to follow the film’s structure exactly, the ending of Cruel intentions threw some curveballs at the viewer. Not only did the remake diverge greatly from the original ending, but it also completely recontextualized what came before in terms of its characters. The whole purpose of changing the ending, besides the surprise factor, is clearly to leave the door open for more tell stories in the future.
The Cruel Intentions TV Remake Season 2 Setup
The door was left open for season 2
The shocking twist at the end of Cruel intentions It may not have been enough to save it from a critical standpoint, but it was clearly designed to set up a second season. By leaving all the program’s threads untied, a sophomore outing is not only easy to fit together, but also logical. Where the 1999 film wrapped things up nicely, Cruel intentions the TV show seemed determined to leave questions to be resolved in future episodes.