Synopsis

At an elite Manhattan prep school, wealthy step-siblings Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil turn manipulation into a wager. Sebastian agrees to seduce Annette Hargrove, the headmaster's daughter, who has vowed to remain abstinent until she falls in love. As their schemes deepen, desire, jealousy, and genuine emotion begin to undermine the carefully controlled game.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is a modern adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' 1782 French novel "Les Liaisons dangereuses," relocating its aristocratic intrigue to an affluent New York high school.

• The working title was "Cruel Inventions." Test audiences reportedly associated that title with science fiction, leading to the change before release.

• "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve became closely associated with the film, particularly through its use in the closing sequence. Securing the song reportedly cost close to $1 million, a substantial portion of the approximately $10.5 million production budget.

• Filming took place in New York and Los Angeles. Old Westbury Gardens and the Ukrainian Cultural Center were among the locations used to represent the Valmont family's grand estate.

• Released in the United States on March 5, 1999, the film became a commercial success despite mixed reviews. Its estimated worldwide gross was about $76 million.

• The film later developed a cult following and expanded into a franchise that included two direct-to-video films, a stage musical, and a television series.