Wild Things (1998)

the audience applauded

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Wild Things stars Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, Matt Dillon, and Kevin Bacon and this guidance counselor gets accused of raping one of his students and from there we have a detective, mystery, erotic thriller in one movie. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. There's so much more to this than meets the eye than just a boring erotic movie that can have too much erotic and not enough thriller and vice versa. But this does a good job balancing out these categories and don't get me wrong I enjoy a good erotic movie as much as the next person, but there has to be more to a movie than just one specific subject. This could also pass for an Alfred Hitchcock movie if he was still alive. The score is so well done that I was intrigued to see where this would take me and it got even better and better when I watched it. Everyone played there parts perfectly including Denise Richards whom I'm not a big fan of hers but this role was perfect for her and Neve Campbell will always be my 90s crush who displays the right amount of toughness and gothic without overdoing it. Even Bill Murray who isn't quite what you expect when watching this type of genre. The movie kept it short sweet and simple and not once was I bored or a scene didn't drag forever so we could see what the conclusion to this whole mystery was. Overall, the movie did its job it knew what it was going to be and this movie shows that all you need is a right cast, a script that's not too complicated to follow, and most importantly confidence and hats what this movie proves my point.

Two very awesome initial blindsides, then this film started to get too "clever" for its own good and of course to its own detriment. That put together with somewhat slow interludes had me giving this film 5/10, then 7/10, until I landed on 6/10.In like 15 minutes, Wild Things devalued the amazing impact the initial twists had, by including several others, one after the next, until it became what we now expect from it. In 15 minutes, it destroyed well constructed illusions into cliches.Also, towards the end, in the hot pursuit and dedication to deconstruct it's own impressive work, Wild Things started to get a bit messy as well. Everything was now becoming a reveal, and not really a story. However, I don't mind that they cut back to how all of this started to begin with, though, truthfully, it wasn't all that necessary, in fact, though I didn't mind it, I feel it actually took away from whatever mystery was left.P.S. Denise Richards was of course annoyingly hot, and Neve Campbell was charming as usual.

Hadn't seen this for a very long time so the twists and turns had me going all over again. Watched the longer, import version, which has a bit more sex but more importantly more plot exposition, just to help those twists nicely along. Matt Dillon is as good as I have seen him in anything and the two young women, played by Denise Richards and Neve Campbell are perfect. As a bonus we have a wonderful, underplayed of course, performance from Bill Murray. Looks good with solid cinematography and direction and I was surprised how good the dialogue is. Maybe just a little longer than it should be with a twist too many, but I was thinking that as the film closed and then some craziness during and after main credits had me smiling once more.

I am unable to discuss the full storyline of this movie. My disk gave in about five minutes to the end, it was during the second of the revealing scenes after The End appeared on- screen. But I don't think Kelly is dead. No way.Herewith just my nomination for Denise Richards for the RavenGlam title Most Beautiful Girl On Film Ever. Yes, I have others contending for that title here at ElectricLadyLand, but certainly, Ms. Richards is a most viable contender. The "I was raped" tearful confession to her mother features the best close-up of a girl's face I have ever, and that is Ever, seen, and she was crying tears, so I am forever gonna remember this one, it is just bunny-nosed beautiful!As for the story, I would have preferred a more rock-solid male character. Oh, and laugh heartily now, but no freaking way could I take Neve "Julia PARTY OF FIVE Salinger" seriously - no way - she has proved she can only do one form of acting, ambling on in neutral gear, throwing in a regular fake little laugh. To think what was expected of her years and years ago when she appeared on the cover of Seventeen...Worth watching for Denise Richards alone. It is the one and final time that you truly, truly, truly get your money's worth...