First of all: This movie is very cheesy and I kind of liked that. It really captured the vibes of the movies it pays homage to. The dialogue and the acting are both pretty weak and over the top at times but I still enjoyed myself.
I really liked the little twist that starts off the third act revealing Eleanor as this damaged revenge thirsty bitch and I thought that was great. But unfortunately that's when the movie took a very problematic turn in it's moral.
The end of the movie basically leaves you with the message that it's okay to destroy other people's lifes ... as long as you're a female. I mean neither Eleanor nor Drea have to face actual consequences for what they did. Sure that Max was an asshole and he deserved the hate he got. What bothers me is that he is the only one who actually pays for all his wrongdoings.
Drea and Eleanor drugged a bunch of stundents - no consequences. They leaked privat messages that exposed an asshole but also a lot of other people (who may haven't been all that innocent themself but still a pretty toxic action) - no consequences. They made a girl who laughed about Drea's video (like basically everyone else) look like a drug addict and completely ruined her future, sending her to therapy and literally destroyed her - no consequences. Drea crushed Eleanor's self esteem and accused her of being a predator sending her to years of therapy - no consequences (at least none that lasted very long).
After all this stuff Max really looks like the nice guy here but in the end he's the big baddie of course. While Drea and Eleanor live happily ever after. Eleanor gets her girl back for whatever reason, Drea gets her boy back although she destroyed the life of a friend of him and drugged him. But all is forgiven because she wrote him a big I'M SORRY and that's it.
Drea even gets her chance back to go to her favorite college but to show the audience that she really changed she declines.
I really wish that this movie would've been more mature besides all it's cheesiness. It's not a movie you shouldn't take serious but treating all the toxic behaviour like it's something you just talk about to make it disappear (although they don't even talk about it with some people and still get out of their problems just fine) leaves a very bitter taste.
This movie could've been much better if our main characters actually would've face consequences for their actions but they didn't. Ironic, since this movie pays homage to Cruel Intentions and even features Sarah Michelle Gellar (best part of the movie btw) but the writers didn't seem to have understand the ending which actually shows the consequences for revenge and manipulation in a very good and profound way. If the ending of this movie would've been more inspired by Cruel Intentions it would've been so much better.
So in the end it's a fun movie with a big let down in the end and it's really sad because this movie really had more potential.
I really liked the little twist that starts off the third act revealing Eleanor as this damaged revenge thirsty bitch and I thought that was great. But unfortunately that's when the movie took a very problematic turn in it's moral.
The end of the movie basically leaves you with the message that it's okay to destroy other people's lifes ... as long as you're a female. I mean neither Eleanor nor Drea have to face actual consequences for what they did. Sure that Max was an asshole and he deserved the hate he got. What bothers me is that he is the only one who actually pays for all his wrongdoings.
Drea and Eleanor drugged a bunch of stundents - no consequences. They leaked privat messages that exposed an asshole but also a lot of other people (who may haven't been all that innocent themself but still a pretty toxic action) - no consequences. They made a girl who laughed about Drea's video (like basically everyone else) look like a drug addict and completely ruined her future, sending her to therapy and literally destroyed her - no consequences. Drea crushed Eleanor's self esteem and accused her of being a predator sending her to years of therapy - no consequences (at least none that lasted very long).
After all this stuff Max really looks like the nice guy here but in the end he's the big baddie of course. While Drea and Eleanor live happily ever after. Eleanor gets her girl back for whatever reason, Drea gets her boy back although she destroyed the life of a friend of him and drugged him. But all is forgiven because she wrote him a big I'M SORRY and that's it.
Drea even gets her chance back to go to her favorite college but to show the audience that she really changed she declines.
I really wish that this movie would've been more mature besides all it's cheesiness. It's not a movie you shouldn't take serious but treating all the toxic behaviour like it's something you just talk about to make it disappear (although they don't even talk about it with some people and still get out of their problems just fine) leaves a very bitter taste.
This movie could've been much better if our main characters actually would've face consequences for their actions but they didn't. Ironic, since this movie pays homage to Cruel Intentions and even features Sarah Michelle Gellar (best part of the movie btw) but the writers didn't seem to have understand the ending which actually shows the consequences for revenge and manipulation in a very good and profound way. If the ending of this movie would've been more inspired by Cruel Intentions it would've been so much better.
So in the end it's a fun movie with a big let down in the end and it's really sad because this movie really had more potential.