Cruel Intentions (1999)

All Critics (81) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (42) | DVD (16)

What's both depressing and impressive about Cruel Intentions is the profound misanthropy of its meaning.

February 8, 2008 Full Review

Stephen Hunter

Washington Post

Top Critic

You won't be able to resist the film's ribaldry and cynicism. Kids these days!

February 8, 2008 Full Review

B.J. Sigesmund

Newsweek

Top Critic

Lascivious blackmailers and inveterate immoralists, these characters behave despicably, but the movie affects a tone of urbane detachment which puts sex in its proper perspective.

June 24, 2006 Full Review

Time Out

Top Critic

You sometimes have to giggle at this movie the way you do when you catch 4-year-olds playing dress-up in front of Mom's closet.

July 21, 2005 Full Review

Jeff Millar

Houston Chronicle

Top Critic

It is maliciously entertaining, up to a point.

June 18, 2002 Full Review

Bob Graham

San Francisco Chronicle

Top Critic

This is the filmic answer to a pack of Spice Girl cards.

March 19, 2002 Full Review

Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

Top Critic

Dangerous Liaisons among rich NYC teens.

January 2, 2011 Full Review

Sarah Wenk

Common Sense Media

The film's cheat ending aside, this arch, ridiculous movie heaves, sweats and steams, and for the most part, it delivers what its title promises.

August 1, 2007 Full Review

Christopher Smith

Bangor Daily News (Maine)

An earnest but overreaching kiddie version of Dangerous Liaisons.

July 26, 2007 Full Review

James Plath

Movie Metropolis

Every bit of the original's nastiness is retained but none of its wit or elegance.

January 9, 2007 Full Review

David Noh

Film Journal International

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

December 6, 2005 Full Review

Ron Wells

Film Threat

First-time helmer/writer Roger Kumble starts off on the right foot, but stumbles along the way.

April 9, 2005 Full Review

Robin Clifford

Reeling Reviews

[This] 'guilty pleasure' ends guilty of not living up to its potential.

March 30, 2005 Full Review

Dragan Antulov

Draxblog Movie Reviews

The movie's cinematography, set design, and costume design are all extremely elegant, and the beautiful young actors are shown off to maximum effect, like expensively bred horses.

June 24, 2003 Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Egads.

February 8, 2003 Full Review

John R. McEwen

Film Quips Online

Cruel Intentions is vapid and mean -- in a good way.

November 7, 2002 Full Review

James Rocchi

Netflix

Kumble doesn't dumb down the themes of the novel too much, he just gives them a refreshing, flashy feel Dawson's Creek-style.

September 10, 2002 Full Review

Kevin N. Laforest

Montreal Film Journal

Despite its highly descriptive dialogue, Cruel Intentions features no nudity ... I doubt teenage boys will be satisfied just to hear Buffy talk dirty.

September 6, 2002 Full Review

Jeffrey Westhoff

Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

The movie never gets past a crucial structural flaw: Behavior that would have scandalized pre-Revolutionary France would scarcely raise an eyebrow among today's drug-dazed and sex-crazed Upper East Side crowd.

June 23, 2002 Full Review

James Sanford

Kalamazoo Gazette

• 1. Kathryn Merteuil: My advice is to sleep with as many people as possible.
  2. Cecile Caldwell: But that would make me a slut, wouldn't it?
  3. Kathryn Merteuil: Cecile, everybody does it; it's just that nobody talks about it.
  4. Cecile Caldwell: So, it's like a secret society?
  5. Kathryn Merteuil: That's one way looking at it.
  6. Kathryn Merteuil: [under her breath] Fucking idiot...
  – Submitted by Folashade K (3 months ago)
• 1. Sebastian Valmont: It's not like you have a husband - unless you're married to Jesus.
  – Submitted by Folashade K (3 months ago)
• 1. Kathryn Merteuil: Unfortunately, our Don Juan is moving with the speed of a Special Olympics hurdler.
  – Submitted by Folashade K (3 months ago)
• 1. Kathryn Merteuil: Who are you spying on? That her?
  2. Sebastian Valmont: Yeah
  3. Kathryn Merteuil: Aww, she's crying. Little baby upset about the big bad book.
  4. Sebastian Valmont: Shut up!
  5. Kathryn Merteuil: What's up your ass?
  – Submitted by Folashade K (3 months ago)
• 1. Kathryn Merteuil: Can I take my new car for a ride?
  2. Sebastian Valmont: Kathryn, the only thing you'll be riding is me.
  – Submitted by Folashade K (3 months ago)
• 1. Sebastian Valmont: You spend all your time preaching about waiting for love. Well here it is. Right in front of you, and you're going to turn your back on it. So I guess we're just f*ucked. I'll move on. But you are going to have to live the rest of your life knowing that you've turned your back on love. And that makes you a hypocrite. Have a nice life.
  – Submitted by Folashade K (3 months ago)

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