Cruel Intentions 3

Cruel Intentions 3 has built a devoted audience in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video among viewers who want their drama to earn its emotional beats. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. 256 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Watch it for Kerr Smith — one of the stronger performances out there right now. Put it on tonight on Netflix and see for yourself.

Cruel Intentions 3 arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. The writing in Cruel Intentions 3 treats its characters as people first, plot devices second. Meet Cassie, Jason and Patrick, three amoral college students who, through a series of sexual wagers, take malicious pleasure in ruining the lives of their fellow classmates. Kerr Smith and Kristina Anapau lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2004. Cruel Intentions 3 resists tidy resolutions in a way that respects how messy real consequences actually are. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Viewers drawn to character-driven storytelling will find plenty to sit with in Cruel Intentions 3. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Kerr Smith is the centre of it, and it is one of their strongest performances on record. The patience it asks of you early on is paid back with interest.