Quartile rating: 5/10 · 1 rating
After his precocious behavior has gotten him bounced out of one more in a string of exclusive private schools, 16-year old Sebastian Valmont has arrived in New York City to live with his father and stepmother. The cunning and handsome Sebastian may have met his match, however, in his equally manipulative and beautiful stepsister Kathryn Merteuil.
Cruel Intentions 2 is a direct-to-video prequel cobbled together from a failed TV pilot, and it shows at every level. The plot retreads the manipulative scheming of the original with none of its stylish wit or dramatic payoff. Acting is competent at best, with a recast ensemble lacking the charisma of the original's leads. Cinematography reflects its TV-movie origins — flat, functional, and unambitious. Novelty scores very low as it is essentially a derivative retread of the original film's premise with a younger cast and diminished stakes, offering nothing distinctive or singular. The ending, hastily assembled from pilot footage, feels incomplete and unsatisfying.