Watch Cruel Intentions
- R
- 1999
- 1 hr 37 min
-
6.8 (207,418)
Cruel Intentions is a 1999 drama film that stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Reese Witherspoon. It is a story about wealthy, young and beautiful people living in New York City, and their twisted ways of manipulating each other to get what they want. The movie tells the story of step-siblings, Sebastian Valmont (Ryan Phillippe) and Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar). The two have a strange and complicated relationship that is based on their mutual love of manipulation and control. The movie begins with Kathryn discovering that her ex-boyfriend, Court Reynolds, is engaged to Cecile Caldwell (Selma Blair), a naive and innocent girl at their school. Kathryn sees Cecile as an easy target and suggests to Sebastian that he should seduce and ruin Cecile in order to get revenge on Court.
In exchange, Kathryn promises to sleep with Sebastian if he manages to seduce Cecile. Sebastian initially refuses, but then becomes fascinated by a challenge and agrees to the deal. He sets out to seduce Cecile while also hiding his true intentions from Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon), a beautiful and smart girl he meets at school, whom he also has feelings for.
However, things start to get complicated when Sebastian falls in love with Annette, and Kathryn becomes jealous of their relationship. She decides to intervene and challenges Sebastian to a bet where if he sleeps with Annette, she will sleep with him. But if he fails, she gets his car.
Throughout the movie, the characters use their wealth, beauty and power to control and manipulate each other to get what they want. They engage in deceitful and manipulative actions that lead to unexpected consequences. The movie also explores themes of sex, power, betrayal, and love.
The acting in Cruel Intentions is exceptional, especially by Sarah Michelle Gellar, who portrays the manipulative and devious Kathryn with ease. Ryan Phillippe's performance as Sebastian is also noteworthy, as he perfectly captures the character's cold and calculating nature. Reese Witherspoon's portrayal of Annette is a refreshing contrast to the other characters' manipulative behavior, as she represents integrity, honesty, and true love.
The movie's soundtrack also perfectly captures the essence of the story, with its mix of '90s pop and classical music. The movie's most memorable scene features Selma Blair's character singing "Colorblind" by Counting Crows while Sebastian watches her from afar, captivated by her innocence and vulnerability.
Overall, Cruel Intentions is a compelling drama that combines elements of seduction, manipulation, and betrayal with great acting and a fantastic soundtrack. It is a movie that explores complex relationships and the consequences of actions taken in the name of love, revenge or personal gain. It has become a cult classic over the years and is still relevant today in its exploration of power and control in relationships.
Cruel Intentions is a 1999 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 37 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8 and a MetaScore of 56.