Cruel Intentions

Name: Cruel Intentions
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Romance
Released: March 5, 1999
Duration: 97 min
Rating: 56
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar

1999

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 428 Ratings

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8.4

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8.4	User Score Universal acclaim based on 428 Ratings

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Cruel Intentions

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Movie Details & Credits

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) | Release Date: March 5, 1999 | R

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar

Summary: Set in modern-day Manhattan, this is an adaptation of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," the classic and scandalous Pierre Laclos novel of sexual manipulation and romantic war games first published in 1782. [Columbia TriStar]

Director: Roger Kumble

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 97 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Desson Thomson

A witty, raunchy comedy, which proves that a well-written piece of business – oozing with sex, wit and nasty intrigue – works for any generation. Read full review

Emanuel Levy

Nasty, profane and wickedly entertaining for the most part. Read full review

Film.com John Hartl

The darkly comic tone is often just right, and the casting occasionally pays off. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Ken Fox

It's tremendous fun, thanks largely to a smarter-than-average script and some fierce casting. Read full review

Ernest Hardy

In truth, the only reason this film was made was to allow viewers to ogle pretty young things behaving badly. Read full review

Ron Wells

In the end, the whole shebang comes off like a bunch of snotty, rich white kids screwing each other and screwing each other over. Read full review

Film.com Gemma Files

Mr Kumble: Keep your hands off the classics! You don't deserve to read them, let alone paraphrase them. Read full review

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User Reviews

Uvula

Apr 11, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The opening shot of the film is an extended scene of a graveyard, then the camera turns to follow Sebastian driving past it. This appears to foreshadow his eventual death at the end of the film.… Expand

24 of 27 users found this helpful243

Rind

Apr 23, 2021

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2 of 4 users found this helpful22

Pluto744

Jun 22, 2021

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7 of 7 users found this helpful70

Aversion68

May 2, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Audio/visual unsynchronised When arriving at Annette's apartment to deliver the package, the doorbell rings before Sebastian touches it.… Expand

5 of 5 users found this helpful50

Excommunicado

Jan 18, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Annette: You know what your problem is? You take yourself way too seriously.

Sebastian: I do not.

Annette: You should lighten up.

Sebastian: I am lightened, can we drop this?

Annette: Okay.

[Makes a face at Sebastian]

Sebastian: Will you stop that?

Annette: [Continues to make a face )

Sebastian: Stop, it's distracting

[starts to laugh]

Annette: Are you laughing?

Sebastian: [seriously] No.

Annette: No?

[Annette puts her fingers on her head to look like devil horns and she sticks her tongue out at the same time, Sebastian begins to laugh and then regains control]

Annette: Its okay you can laugh, I promise I won't tell anyone… Expand

11 of 11 users found this helpful110

Kiva

Aug 18, 2013

Wow just wow. This film is excellent I can't say something bad. It has great actors and good music. The plot is excellent and the film is a masterpiece. It is really smart and it is easily watched. i think everyone would love that film. Nothing else to say just watch that film. Plus, it'sWow just wow. This film is excellent I can't say something bad. It has great actors and good music. The plot is excellent and the film is a masterpiece. It is really smart and it is easily watched. i think everyone would love that film. Nothing else to say just watch that film. Plus, it's the sexiest film EVER… Expand

23 of 32 users found this helpful239

chromate

Jan 11, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. "Cruel Intentions" is so atrocious and gross that I felt like I needed to take a shower right afterwards. The entire team of this movie was made up of men, so that explains why the whole thing was shot from the male gaze. Witherspoon gave a good performance with what she was given with: a celibate "Jesus freak" that decided to give it up as soon as she met the disgustingly manipulative and border-line assaulter Sebastian, without looking back. It's obvious that Sebastian's character was intended to be mysterious and broody but there's a simple difference between complex and completely arrogant. With one half of the relationship being a complete **** and the second half being the stereotype for a "sweet and innocent," vulnerable teenage girl, it doesn't make it easy to root for their relationship. The writers don't make a distinct characteristic shift between when Sebastian's intentions are to win the game he set up with his step-sister, and when he actually starts to feel the real feelings. Coming back to Witherspoon's character, despite the inaccuracy of what a real teenager is like, through all the complications you can still tell she's a nice enough person if you unwrap everything. However, you never really get the chance to "unwrap" her character because she's never actually alone. It's clear her character revolves around the way that Sebastian see's her; which is a view point I wish there was less of. Because of never really understanding her true character, it's hard to tell if you want her to be happy or not. All this emptiness in the character and lack of depth is filled with sex scenes that aren't helpful, fulfilling, or benefit the relationship at all. There are a few other disgusting side-plots they threw in; like the step-bro and step-sis (essentially incestual) relationship, and the make-out scene between two girls (basically just purely for fun) which I guess could be classified as queen-baiting in this day n' age. To summarize: this is the biggest **** bag of a movie which they tried to hide behind sensible actors, but didn't work out at all.… Expand

0 of 11 users found this helpful011

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19	#19 Most Discussed Movie of 1999
17	#17 Most Shared Movie of 1999