The Rules of Attraction

The Rules of Attraction (2002) is a dark comedy-drama film that explores the complex and often toxic relationships between a group of privileged college students. Set at the fictional Camden College in New Hampshire, the movie follows the interconnected storylines of Sean Bateman (James Van Der Beek), a drug dealer and womanizer; Lauren Hynde (Shannyn Sossamon), a virgin who is saving herself for her ex-boyfriend Victor; and Paul Denton (Ian Somerhalder), Lauren's bisexual ex-boyfriend. The film opens at the "End of the World" party, where the three main characters give apathetic interior monologues and briefly exchange glances with each other. Lauren, previously a virgin, takes a film student upstairs to have sex and passes out, only to wake up to find herself being raped by a townie while the film student records it. Meanwhile, Paul tries to have sex with a jock, only to be bashed when the jock rejects his advances. A bruised and beaten Sean is shown drinking a whole bottle of Jack Daniel's and tearing up a series of purple letters before approaching and having sex with a blonde girl at the party. The plot then moves backwards several months to the beginning of the school year, and explores the love triangle between Lauren, Paul, and Sean. Misinterpreting Sean's willingness to spend time with him, Paul makes several advances to Sean but is met with rejection. Concurrently, Lauren finds herself attracted to Sean despite saving her virginity for Victor. Sean reciprocates her feelings and assumes the anonymous, purple love letters he has started receiving are from Lauren. While Paul fantasizes about having sex with Sean while masturbating, Sean masturbates reading the letters and fantasizes about Lauren. As the semester progresses, Sean becomes increasingly conflicted about his feelings for Lauren while continuing his sexual escapades with various girls on campus. At a party, he regrets sleeping with Lauren's roommate Lara after realizing he is in love with Lauren; it is then revealed that another, unnamed cafeteria girl is sending him love letters. After Sean leaves the party with Lara, the unnamed girl sends him suicide note before cutting her wrists in her dorm bathtub. Lauren finds Sean kissing Lara in the girls' bathroom just as she discovers that the suicide note was meant for her rather than Lara or Sean or Paul. She runs away from the scene in confusion and grief as Sean realizes what he has lost forever.

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Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as The Rules of Attraction include Crossroads, First Daughter, Life Is Beautiful, What a Girl Wants, Georgia Rule, 10 Things I Hate About You.