6 Reasons Why Cruel Intentions Is One Of The Greatest Movies Of All Time
A couple of nights ago I was flicking through Netflix and came across a film I had completely forgotten about - Cruel Intentions. Set in the upper east side of Manhattan, Cruel Intentions tells a tale of a rich stepbrother and stepsister who place a divisive bet that could ruin both their reputations.
Released in 1999, Cruel Intentions was much darker than the noughties teen classics Mean Girls or American Pie and is currently doing the rounds on Broadway as a new musical. Even though it was panned by critics, here's why fans still consider it one of the best movies to date nearly twenty years after its release:
1. Sarah Michell Gellar Is The Ultimate Scene Stealer
The movie would not have been the same without Sarah Michelle Gellar as Kathryn Merteuil. Kathryn plays the perfect student amongst the rich elite but orchestrates the entire plot from her chic Manhattan apartment. She won the Teen Choice and MTV Movie Award for her being the ultimate villain. The actress recently shared a clip from the streaming service Apple TV which showed Cruel Intentions in the Kids and Family section. Gellar jokingly wrote: "I guess you could say it's educational...right?".
2. The Off Screen Romance
Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon didn't just share an onscreen romance. The pair were already dating off camera and eventually married, before divorcing in 2007. Katie Holmes was originally meant to play Annette (Witherspoon's character) but Phillippe (Sebastian) had to beg Witherspoon to star in the movie:
So, basically, we took Reese out to dinner to get her drunk, and we ended up getting drunk. And I literally got down on my knees and begged her: 'Please, it'll be 15 days, you'll be great.' And Reese was like, 'I'll do it. But we need to work on the character.' I'm like, 'Anything, anything, anything.' She wanted to strengthen the character, and she was right. And she and I got together, and we gave Annette more bite so she wasn't a doormat. And I'm very grateful to her for that.
3. It's Much Darker Than You Remember
Remember that scene when Sebastian beds Cecile (Selma Blair) to get revenge on her Mother? It's not as blasé a scene as it first appears. Grooming and sexual abuse play a big part in Cecile's storyline. Firstly, Cecile is given "iced tea" by Sebastian which is actually a Long Island Iced Tea. After taking "sexy" pictures of her, Sebastian blackmails Cecile into letting him go down on her.
4. The Importance Of Spit String Gate
Most people might recoil in horror at the spit kissing scene that joined SMG and Selma Blair but it became a symbolic moment. Two women kissing in a movie that's teen heavy was extremely rare back in the 90s, regardless of how unprogressive the situation was. The moment was so significant that it recreated a chain of copycats with the most iconic being from Not Another Teen Movie.
5. That Soundtrack
"Lovefool" by The Cardigans, "Praise You" feat. Fatman Slim and "Colourblind" by The Counting Crows are just some of the songs that encapsulate the best of the 90s and they're all on the Cruel Intentions soundtrack. The movie would never have been the same without 'Bittersweet Symphony' which nearly didn't make the final cut. The Verve don't own the rights to The Rolling Stones song so the studio had to pay a lot of money to feature the song on the soundtrack.
6. The Best Ending In Cinematic History
Sebastian's funeral scene should go down in history as one of the greats. When Annette and Kathryn finally meet in the girls' bathroom up until Kathryn's necklace full of cocaine is opened by the Principal - it's the ultimate revenge scene. The fact that it's enacted by Cecile, the pawn of both Sebastian and Kathryn, makes for an even more satisfying ending. The icing on the cake is Witherspoon driving away from the scene in Sebastian's Jaguar, the stake of the bet, with his journal by her side *clutches chest*:
You can stream Cruel Intentions on Netflix now.