The tagline for this film is, “They’re dying to play with you.” I assume that’s supposed to mean the characters in the film, who are all played by attractive people. It also includes the screenwriter and director, who prove that this film can also play with your expectations.
Wild Things is a very twisted little movie from beginning to end. It’s very difficult to describe a movie like this without ruining it for someone. I went into the theater knowing little about the plot or much else about it. That was probably the best way to see this movie as the surprises in this film have quite a bit of punch. I’ll try to give a little information, though.
Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) is a guidance counselor at Blue Bay High School, an affluent community in South Florida. After giving a seminar on sex crimes, with the help of Detective Ray Duquette (Kevin Bacon), Sam is approached by Kelly (Denise Richards), a very wealthy and amorous girl who wants to wash his Jeep for a charity event. After getting all wet washing his Jeep, and providing numerous excuses to show a healthy amount of her rear-end, she tries to seduce Lombardo. Apparently unsuccessful, she storms from his house, obviously upset.
The next day, she accuses Lombardo of raping her. Lombardo loses his job and house, but swears he is innocent. That all seems to change when Suzie (Neve Campbell), a drugged-out girl “from the wrong side of the tracks” accuses Lombardo of raping her too. A chain of events is set in motion that can only be seen to be fully appreciated. I will go no further to explain the plot.
I can say that it took me a while to decide how I felt about this film. While watching it, I found myself chuckling at the campiness of some of the performances. Theresa Russell, as Kelly’s rich mother, plays her role as a slut-by-numbers. It’s almost worth the price of admission to hear Robert Wagner (from TV’s Hart to Hart) use the f-word so freely. And, Denise Richards’ statement to the police about the alleged rape is god-awful.
However, as the movie went on, I realized that a pattern was developing. Everything was over-the-top. The performances, the plot, even the shots of Florida wildlife seemed to be calculated to arouse an audible reaction from the viewer. I began to enjoy the movie almost as if it were an amusement park ride. The writing and the direction are smart enough to keep this movie fun, but don’t allow the audience to miss that fact, even going so far as to throw in Bill Murray as a comically crooked lawyer.
Wild Things isn’t a classic, but it’s got enough smarts, twisted performances and sexuality to keep your eyes glued to the screen. One can’t fault a movie for that.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
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