There’s at least part of an entire generation out there who can trace their sexual awakening right back to the release of 1999’s erotic thriller Cruel Intentions, which updates Dangerous Liaisons for the modern age while appealing to exactly the right target demographic. It was so successful that it gave rise to an entire trilogy, not that anyone cared about the other two.
Writer and director Roger Kumble did at least return for the second installment – which is technically a prequel – but by the time Cruel Intentions 3 rolled around in 2004 there was barely a tangible connection to the opener at all, bar the tenuous placement of lead character Cassidy Merteuil being the cousin of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Kathryn, who was played by Amy Adams in the middle chapter.
Unsurprisingly, then, Cruel Intentions 3 was torn to shreds by critics and fans of the first two alike, which is entirely what it deserved when it simply sought to weaponize a recognizable name in the hopes people would be interested. They weren’t, at least not for a long time, but the movie has unexpectedly ended up embarking on a new lease of life on streaming.
Per FlixPatrol, the threequel not a single soul was asking for and even less gave half a damn about has taken a spot on the iTunes global most-watched list, but let’s just hope Sony doesn’t get any ideas and dust off those plans for a reboot, remake, or legacy continuation of some sort, because the outfit’s track record for franchisable fare is hardly stellar.