'Cruel Intentions' is pretty good for a reboot, but they really, really should have dropped one character
We can all agree that 'Cruel Intentions' has been our guilty pleasure growing up. In the current scenario, where several blockbusters and classic movies are being adapted into television series, Sony Pictures hasn’t lagged behind in rebooting the famous franchise.
Based on the classic French novel 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses', this 2024 reboot takes the drama to the hallowed and hazy halls of Manchester College with a modern twist. Between Greek life scandals and a web of power plays, it’s as juicy and addictive as it can get. Yet, amidst all the chaos, one character sticks out like an off-note in a symphony.
Sara Silva's character is the most annoying part of 'Cruel Intentions'
In the latest Prime Video series, Sarah Catherine Hook appears as Caroline Merteuil while Zac Burgess plays his criminally charming step-brother Lucien Belmont. The step-siblings dominate the narrative with their Machiavellian antics. Enter CeCe (played by Sara Silva), a character that truly gets on our nerves. She is Caroline's overly eager sidekick, who somehow manages to drain the energy from every scene she enters.
The makers attempt to add weight to her character by giving her a sub-plot of her own. However, her romantic entanglement with Professor Chadwick (Sean Patrick Thomas) feels more like filler than anything else. Moreover, the chemistry between both characters appears to be missing. Honestly, you get to see better sparks between Blaise (John Harlan Kim) and Scott (Khobe Clarke) than Chadwick and CeCe in the entire series.
CeCe isn't even funny in 'Cruel Intentions'
To be fair, we get it! CeCe was probably meant to be the comic relief amid the high-stake rivalry and political plot. But sadly, it didn't come out well. Instead of lightening the mood, her paranoid antics and over-the-top delivery left us groaning. It’s like the writers thought, “What if we combine all the clichés of a meddling sidekick, strip away any charm, and hope it sticks?” Spoiler: it doesn’t.
And that's where the tragedy strikes. CeCe's scenes disrupt the flow of what’s otherwise a compelling narrative. Just when we’re basking in Caroline’s razor-sharp manipulation or watching Lucien weave his charm, CeCe bursts in with her chaotic energy, yanking us out of the moment. And when Caroline told CeCe, “Please stop talking", we couldn’t agree more.
If you are able to look past this annoying character, 'Cruel Intentions' has a lot to offer. All the episodes are now streaming on Prime Video.