"Wild Things"? "Mild Things", more like.

K_Legs

Has the world gone mad? I've just been browsing through the other user comments and I am alarmed to discover that they are, for the most part, overwhelmingly positive. Am I the only person who was appalled by the sheer awfulness of this movie?

The most mystifying thing about the whole experience was this: how could so many talented actors, actresses and filmmakers come together and make such a truly dire movie? Director John McNaughton made the critically acclaimed "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" and the subtle and involving "Mad Dog and Glory", among others, and the acting talent on display in "Wild Things" speaks for itself. Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon and Neve Campbell have all proven that they can act, but with "Wild Things" McNaughton could have saved himself a lot of money by employing monkeys or, better still, full-size cardboard cut-outs.

The oft-mentioned nudity is tame in the extreme - you see Richards' assets briefly and there is a needless shot of Kevin Bacon's member, but beyond that, if you're looking for cheap titillation, you may want to look elsewhere.

Ok, so you do get to see Denise Richards with very few clothes on. This is a good thing. But it does not save the rest of the film from mediocrity; the much-talked-about "plot twists" are ludicrously overblown, the acting is wooden, the music is terrible and it is badly directed, shot and edited. Imagine an erotic thriller which is neither erotic nor thrilling and you'd be pretty close to the mark. The only thing in this film which might be described as half-decent is the tragically under-used Bill Murray in an amusing supporting role. He appears for a mere fraction of the running time, and still struggles under the cliché-ridden screenplay.

Overall, this movie feels like a sort of extended episode of "Baywatch" or "Sunset Beach", with more violence and some nudity added in to try and appeal to randy adolescents; the only audience, surely, who could possibly be interested. Why are some obviously talented filmmakers trying to peddle this degenerate, derivative twaddle? Your guess is as good as mine.

score 2/10

K_Legs 26 April 1999

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0476548/