Recently, we've had an overload of movies based on musical adaptations of movies (like Mean Girls and The Color Purple) and movies being turned into musical adaptations (such as the still-running Back to the Future and Moulin Rouge! in London's West End).
"No more!" you might think. Yet, you'll regret not finding space for Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical.
The cult classic turns 25 years old this year (yes, you now feel old), and while it has classic music moments, such as the iconic 'Bittersweet Symphony' finale, it doesn't strike you as an obvious pick to turn into a musical.
But that's just because you haven't thought about how glorious a musical it would be to have '90s bangers soundtracking the entire thing.
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There is a way that Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical could have gone wrong, of course. Had it taken itself very seriously, perhaps even using original songs to tell the story of despicable and horny step-siblings Kathryn and Sebastian, then it could have been a disaster.
But from the moment 'Genie in a Bottle' starts playing to when Kathryn suggests the bet, you know that the musical is in on the joke. Cruel Intentions, the movie, was already camp; Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical makes it look like a serious Oscar contender by comparison.
It's a blend of tone and mischief that works incredibly well. Needle drops are perfectly timed, with songs from Britney Spears, Ace of Base, TLC, Backstreet Boys and, in a winning addition for the London run, Spice Girls.
You'll get more from the musical if you're already a fan of the movie, but familiarity with the movie isn't necessary. The musical's book liberally uses dialogue directly from the movie, so if you're a newcomer to the Cruel Intentions world, there are killer one-liners waiting for you.
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It's no easy thing to live up to the likes of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and more, but the excellent cast manage to pay homage and put their own spin on it.
Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky and Daniel Bravo are the stand-outs as the step-siblings, wringing the innuendoes for all their worth and impressing with their vocals for the big numbers. There's strong support across the company, too, with Jess Buckby potentially stealing the show with a 'No Scrubs' number as Bunny Caldwell.
If there's a criticism to be had, it's that the musical has also kept some outdated language of the movie. You're warned, but you wouldn't complain about it if they edited it out. At least the subplot between Blaine and Greg is fleshed out a bit to compensate for it.
By the time the immersive finale kicks in, it's likely an issue you'll have forgiven, too. The production finds an ingenious way to involve the audience in Kathryn's downfall, giving Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical the memorable finale it deserves.
Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical is running now at The Other Palace in London until April 14.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
