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Cruel Intentions (2024) is the 8-part TV version of the 1999 movie, itself, which was based on 1989’s Dangerous Liaisons, as well as the 1782 novel from Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
As the ’99 movie was a new version for the brat-pack market, this series returns to the world of Sorority school girls and boys, led by Caroline Merteuil (Sarah Catherine Hook – The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It) and Lucien Valmont (Zac Burgess – One Night) – instead of Kathryn and Sebastian – who, despite being stepsiblings, finds there is a similar frisson between the two.
In fact, the three main leads look very similar to their counterparts from the original movie, with similar but slightly different names, so, Cecile is now Cece (Sara Silva).
Dean of Students, Sheffield (Chicago Hope‘s Adam Arkin, in an uncredited role, but also spending his time directing some of the episodes) is annoyed that, at an opening semester party for the Delta Phi Pi and ALpha Gamma Zeta houses, one man becomes seriously injured, and no student will rat on any others. We certainly never had any of this nonsense in the UK.
Beyond that, everyone’s shagging around, or at least trying to, so as it’s a series, it’s a late-night Beverly Hills 90210, if you like, even showing Lucien, early on, doing the do with a girl in the bathroom, before picking up another woman. Yes, this is a very different world from reality.
Based on the 2 episodes I’ve seen so far, it’s very slow and doesn’t particularly diverge from what the film does. Some will enjoy that, but for me, everyone is incessantly smug and unlikeable, and I’m out.
Although the episodes have a lots of fast talking, the preview didn’t have subtitles to accompany them, but the script certainly isn’t complex to any degree, so if you miss the odd line of dialogue, you don’t really miss anything.
The opener concludes with a look at the rest of the upcoming season, but all eight episodes are released at the same time.
Thanks to our friends at Prime Video for the screener prior to release.
Trailer posted November 10th 2024, 01:00
Review posted: November 20th 2024, 23:00
Cruel Intentions is on Prime Video from tomorrow, Thursday November 21st. All episodes are available from day one.
Cert: 
Running time: 35-45 minutes per episode (8 episodes)
Release date: November 21st 2024
Studio: Prime Video
Format: 2.00:1
Series Directors: Nick Copus, Adam Arkin
Producers: Stefan Steen, Monika Bacardi, Jess Burkle, Andrea Iervolino, Bruce Mellon, Sheila Phillips
Creator: Phoebe Fisher, Sara Goodman
Writers: Phoebe Fisher, Sara Goodman, Chaconne Martin-Berkowicz, Nic Strain
Music: Jeff Cardoni
Cast:
Caroline Merteuil: Sarah Catherine Hook
Lucien Valmont: Zac Burgess
Cece Carroway: Sara Silva
Annie Grover: Savannah Lee Smith
Blaise: John Kim
Scott: Khobe Clarke
Beatrice: Brooke Lena Johnson
Professor Chadwick: Sean Patrick Thomas
Brian Blandsman: Zeke Goodman
Delta Phi Sister: Katrina Parag
Tanya: Dawn Ngo
Claudia Merteuil: Claire Forlani
Miranda: Cynthia Ritchie
Rourke: Stephen Thomas Kalyn
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.