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Wild Things

R Released Mar 20, 1998 1h 47m Mystery & Thriller List
64% Tomatometer 121 Reviews 54% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
When teen debutante Kelly (Denise Richards) fails to attract the attention of her hunky guidance counselor, Sam (Matt Dillon), she cries rape, igniting a scandal that results in his arrest. Sam appeals to Ken (Bill Murray), a hack personal-injury lawyer who has never handled a case that couldn't be helped by a prop neck brace. Soon, a second victim, Suzie (Neve Campbell), comes forward, and Detective Duquette (Kevin Bacon) discovers that the unfolding case is far from what it seems.
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Wild Things

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Critics Consensus

Wild Things is a delightfully salacious, flesh-exposed romp that also requires a high degree of love for trash cinema.

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Critics Reviews

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Stephanie Zacharek TIME Magazine ...steamy, tawdry, gloriously over-the-top... Aug 1, 2024 Full Review Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times McNaughton and cinematographer Jeffrey L. Kimball frequently cut to glimpses of alligators lurking in the Florida swamps, echoing the predatory nature of virtually every main character. Jun 9, 2023 Full Review Duane Byrge Hollywood Reporter Director John McNaughton's grip is a bawdy mix of suspense, sex and silliness, all served up with a huge tongue sticking in his cheek. It's a foamy mix, topped off by highly charged performances. Feb 2, 2023 Full Review Nicholas Bell Fish Jelly Films (YouTube) A potboiler on class woes, Wild Things is the dark fruit at the end of a neo-noir era in the 1990s, where softcore sensibilities were an acceptable selling point and adult themes embraced. Rated: 3.5/5 Jul 27, 2023 Full Review Noah Berlatsky Splice Today Older noirs often present that failure of hierarchy as a crisis. But in Wild Things, it’s exhilarating. Mar 28, 2023 Full Review Trace Thurman Bloody Disgusting Lurid, trashy, and shockingly intelligent, Wild Things will surprise you like few films can. Rated: 4.5/5 Mar 21, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Fabrícia F Perigoso e lascivo, um enredo que prende do início ao fim e surpreende pela genialidade do roteiro e a atuação de seus protagonistas. Apesar de um final morno, vale a pena conferir esse suspense psicológico de tirar o fôlego. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/21/24 Full Review Aaron C Don't get it, the ending got tedious... Was it him, was it her... I couldn't careless at the end Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/18/24 Full Review darkart1000 2 the best teen crime stories i ever seen 10 out of 10 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/26/24 Full Review Steven A Is it meant to be so bad? Seems most of the actors figured out it was so bad the best thing to do is play up the camp. That paid off, because it's one of those, "it's so bad, it's....watchable." Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 07/25/24 Full Review Farah R While it's a bit heavy on the twists, the film's story is intriguing and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Wild Things works best as a teen thriller thanks to its lead stars, Neve Campbell and Denise Richards. Matt Dillon matches their crazy but fails to outshine his talented costars. You'd be doing yourself a favor not taking this film too seriously because that's the only way you'll look past its flaws and even actually enjoy it. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/06/24 Full Review Jonathan m Worse movie I've ever seen. Its like a mexican telenovela Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 05/05/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Wild Things

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Cast & Crew

Wild Things

Wild Things: Official Clip - Good Guess! Wild Things: Official Clip - Good Guess! 2:12 Wild Things: Official Clip - First Rule of Sailing Wild Things: Official Clip - First Rule of Sailing 2:11 Wild Things: Official Clip - Three's a Crowd Wild Things: Official Clip - Three's a Crowd 2:13 Wild Things: Official Clip - Discussing the Case Wild Things: Official Clip - Discussing the Case 1:46 Wild Things: Official Clip - I Was Raped Wild Things: Official Clip - I Was Raped 1:19 Wild Things: Official Clip - Seducing Lombardo Wild Things: Official Clip - Seducing Lombardo 2:05 Wild Things: Official Clip - The Pool Scene Wild Things: Official Clip - The Pool Scene 1:59 Wild Things: Official Clip - Peeping in People's Windows Wild Things: Official Clip - Peeping in People's Windows 2:12 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis When teen debutante Kelly (Denise Richards) fails to attract the attention of her hunky guidance counselor, Sam (Matt Dillon), she cries rape, igniting a scandal that results in his arrest. Sam appeals to Ken (Bill Murray), a hack personal-injury lawyer who has never handled a case that couldn't be helped by a prop neck brace. Soon, a second victim, Suzie (Neve Campbell), comes forward, and Detective Duquette (Kevin Bacon) discovers that the unfolding case is far from what it seems.
Director
John McNaughton
Producer
Steven A. Jones, Rodney Liber
Screenwriter
Stephen Peters
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Mandalay Pictures
Rating
R (Nudity|Language|Some Violence|Strong Sexuality)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 20, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$29.8M
Runtime
1h 47m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, SDDS, Surround, Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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