Welcome to Manchester College, an elite place where Greek life reigns supreme, where the only thing that truly matters is one’s wealth and power. Marking the third attempt to bring the Cruel Intentions brand to the small-screen, this new series manages to capture the seduction and conniving social climbing of its 1999 original. Whereas that iteration featured an all-star cast (Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair) and spawned two direct-to-video sequels, Prime Video’s take instead relies on a bevy of fresh talent to fill the shoes of its privileged few. This tactic is always a gamble, but thankfully pays off with some truly riveting performances. An irresistibly seductive retelling, Cruel Intentions justifies its existence by presenting a tale of two horny step-siblings through a modern lens.
The initial pilot episode tees up a vital message regarding toxic fraternity subculture. Just three months before our story begins, an intense hazing incident leaves hunky doofus pledge Scott (Khobe Clark, VC Andrews’ Dawn, Yellowjackets) with a serious concussion and a minor case of amnesia. Now, the fraternities and sororities on campus are under a microscope, drawing protestors who really believe that “Greek life has got to go.” How can they rehabilitate their image? Reputations are everything—when word comes out that Annie Grover (Savannah Lee Smith, Max’s Gossip Girl, Murder at the Mystery Party), the daughter to the current Vice President of the United States, will be starting at Manchester, queen bee Caroline Merteuil (Sarah Catherine Hook, American Crime Story, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) will stop at nothing to have her as the next Delta Phi pledge.
For Caroline, offering herself up to her charismatic step-brother, Lucien Belmont (Zac Burgess, Boy Swallows Universe), may be the only way to ensure Annie ends up in her clutches. Caroline promises Lucien that he can finally have what he’s always wanted—her—for up to an hour. All he has to do is convince Annie to join the sorority, and Caroline will serve herself up for him on a silver platter. That task certainly seems easy enough for Lucien, who has bagged all manner of women, and recorded every sexual tryst for his own personal viewing pleasure. Even from their early interactions, Caroline and Lucien make sarcastic barbs at each other. One or the other is constantly in a state of flirtatious undress, toying with a bubbling sexual tension that also made the 1999 movie so distinct. With his curly mullet-esque locks and constant charisma, Zac Burgess as Lucien delivers major sex appeal, and bisexual bombshell Caroline may not be a direct version of Kathryn, but Sarah Catherine Hook molds her into a scheming maniac all the same. Will Annie fall for the obviousness of Lucien’s charms?
Those overly familiar with the setup of either the original film or French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses will be a few steps ahead of the overarching narrative. Mostly though, showrunners Sara Goodman and Phoebe Fisher use prior versions as a stepping stone, not a total template. They include fun easter eggs, such as potent use of “Bittersweet Symphony,” a mirroring of key scenes, and even the appearance of Sebastian’s vintage black Jaguar. A key cast member from 1999 returns: Sean Patrick Thomas, who portrayed a lovesick private viola instructor previously, now plays Professor Chadwick. On paper, there are plenty of ways the whole affair could have gone horribly awry. Yet, clashing the modernity against the timelessness of this story makes for a riveting home run.
This is a college of swirling secrets, fierce rivalries, “snowjobs,” countless seductions, leaked sex tapes, and blurred identities. As such, there are multiple supporting characters that are just as important as the two leads. Queerness is nowhere near as taboo as it was in 1999, and thankfully the series never treats it as such either. The gay relationship between Scott, the son of a conservative congressman, and Blaise (John Harlan Kim, FOX’s 9-1-1, Purple Hearts), the fraternity’s financial advisor, becomes one of the series’ signature relationships. With Scott firmly in the closet and Blaise seemingly using Scott to launder money, their prospects appear grim. Positioning Scott as Alpha Gamma’s vice president does not sit well with Bryan (Zeke Goodman, Prime’s I Know What You Did Last Summer, Rent Free), a self-conscious loner who feels he has put in the time for that presidency title. Khobe Clark’s wistful naiveté as Scott makes his character an easy one to love, even if the IQ doesn’t quite match his smiley frat-bro exterior. Another character that adds to the greater whole immeasurably is Caroline’s second in command, Cece Carroway (Sara Silver, American Horror Stories, The Boys). Silver’s Cece acts as a vibrant foil to Caroline, falling in love with her professor along the way.
Between the power games and twisted relationships of the elite, one could be forgiven for initially thinking they are watching an R-rated episode of Gossip Girl or The OC. Cruel Intentions is ultimately nothing like either, having far more in common with the first movie than anything else. Maybe third time’s the charm here—Cruel Intentions 2 was originally supposed to spawn a TV series, and Sarah Michelle Gellar even returned in 2016 for NBC’s failed series attempt from years back. This version feels different in a notable way, as if the showrunners have fine-tuned the sexually-charged drama for a whole new generation. Cruel Intentions leans into the morally gray choices of its riveting characters, and captures the enticing yet toxic allure of wealthy socialite academia. Season 2, please?
Unravel the toxic social hierarchy of Cruel Intentions, hazing audiences worldwide on Thursday, November 21st.