The 1999 cult classic romantic drama thrillerCruel Intentionsgot a brand-new remake on the small screen, and Amazon Prime Video put a fresh spin on the romantic thriller. Loosely based on the 18th century French novelDangerous Liaisons, the story concerns a pair of wealthy step-siblings who have carefully crafted their social life while attending college. Things take a dark turn when a hazing incident threatens their standing, and they’ll do anything to keep their status. Much like the original film, the TV remake aimed to tear down social structures with a thrilling and modern take.
In an era ofTV remakes of movies,Cruel Intentionsseemed like a logical project, and shows about colleges have never failed to intrigue viewers. Interestingly, theCruel IntentionsTV remake isn’t the first stab at a franchise, and the 1999 box office hit spawned two straight-to-video sequels in the early 2000s. Though those sequels paled 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, andCruel Intentionsis yet another prestige series for the streamer.
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Cruel Intentions Movie Cast - Where Are They Now?
Cruel Intentions is a smart and seductive teen drama that is just as fun to watch now as it was nearly 25 years ago. Find out where the cast is now.
The Cruel Intentions TV Remake Critical Reception
Critics Pan Prime Video’s Take On Cruel Intentions
Early critical reception to the show has been overwhelmingly negative, with the streaming exclusive mustering a paltry 37% score onMetacritic.
With TV remakes of hit films always a gamble,it seems as if Prime Video’s take onCruel Intentionswas a bust. Early critical reception to the show has been overwhelmingly negative, with the streaming exclusive mustering a paltry 37% score onMetacritic. The consensus is thatCruel Intentionsfails to deliver the same intriguing sexiness that made the 1999 original so enjoyable, and everything is generally bland.The Guardiandeemed the remake as “generic” whileVarietywent as far as to call it “stale” and “unsexy.”
Screen Rantdelivered a similar review, tearing down the project for its stilted writing and poor handling of such interesting characters. While Prime Video clearly has a plan for a larger series, the poor critical reception isn’t a good sign for more seasons ofCruel Intentions.
Cruel Intentionsconsists of 8 episodes and premiered on July 10, 2025.
The Cruel Intentions TV Remake Cast
A New Cast Of Cruel College Students
Though the cast ofCruel Intentionsis made up of entirely new faces, it does feature a returning actor from the original film in a new role. Sean Patrick Thomas had one of his earliest 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 Lucius, respectively, a pair of step-siblings who aspire to climb the social ladder in college.
Savannah Lee Smith plays Annie Grover, the daughter 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 tapped to play U.S. Congressman Russell. Khobe Clarke’s Scott, Sara Silva’s CeCe, and John Harlan Kim’s Blaise make up various classmates of Caroline and Lucius, and round out the supporting cast.
The Cruel Intentions TV Remake Trailer
Watch The Full Trailer Below
In anticipation of the show’s premiere in November, Amazon Prime Video has dropped afull trailerforCruel Intentions. Highlighting the connection between the original film and the remake, the trailer is punctuated with a cover of ’90s classic “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve. The trailer introduces Lucius and Caroline as they concoct their plan to seduce Annie Grover (the daughter of the U.S. Vice President). They do this to keep the sororities and fraternities from getting closed down, but their plan isn’t as simple as it seems. The sexual drama escalates into a campus-wide battle for social supremacy.
The Cruel Intentions TV Remake Ending & Spoilers
Some Major Changes From The Movie’s Ending
Though many expected the TV remake to follow the movie’s structure exactly,the ending ofCruel Intentionsthrew a few curveballs at the viewer. Not only did the remake diverge greatly from the original ending, it completely recontextualized what came before in terms of its characters.The entire purpose of changing the ending, besides the surprise factor, is clearly to leave the door open for morestorytelling in the future.
The Cruel Intentions TV Remake Season 2 Set Up
The Door Was Left Wide Open For Season 2
The shocking twist ending ofCruel Intentionsmay not have been enough to save it from a critical standpoint, but it was clearly meant to set up a second season. By leaving all the show’s threads untied, a sophomore outing is not only easy to fit in, but logical as well. Where the 1999 movie wrapped things up nicely,Cruel Intentionsthe TV show seemed determined to leave questions to be solved in future episodes.
Cruel Intentions
Cast
Two ambitious step-siblings at a prestigious Washington, D.C. college will stop at nothing to keep their social standing. After a hazing scandal threatens their control, they resort to extreme tactics, including seducing the vice president’s daughter, to safeguard their reputation and influence.
