C+
Directed by John McNaughton
Running Time: 1:48
A wild sexy thriller. This is what I've heard about Wild Things. Well, it's wild, and it's sexy, and at times it does thrill. But I don't think it's a wild, sexy thriller. Wild Things stars Matt Dillon as Sam Lombardo, a guidence counselor at some school of some sorts (although I've never been to a school where you can learn how to sail). One of his students (Denise Richards) accuses him of rape, and his life is turned upside down. And when a second student (Neve Campbell) comes forward with a similar story, all hell breaks loose. But this is just the beginning. I have never seen a movie with so many twists and turns before. Just when you think you've got it figured out, they throw something else at you. Here's the problem. It's just too damn far-fetched. You know what I was thinking when I left? I was thinking about the O.J. trial. If you believe that O.J. was innocent, you'd have to believe that there was this huge conspiracy between the police, the District Attorney, and everyone else involved. If you believe what happens in Wild Things, then chances are you too believe O.J. is innocent. You remember The Usual Suspects? Now that was a good movie. There were twists and turns, but the story somehow seemed believable, because the people seemed believable. And the ending, although shocking at first, made sense and I at least, left the theater thinking it was the best script I'd seen in a long time. I left Wild Things thinking that the director must have known something was wrong, because I'd never seen a movie where they had to explain to you what happened during the closing credits.
Everyone is back stabbing everyone else. Cops are not who they seem to be, students aren't who they seem to be. Lawyers are never who they seem to be. Now for the good things. I love Neve Campbell (as I'm sure most men my age do), and you get to see a lot of Denise Richards, if you know what I mean. And the ladies aren't left out either, because you get to see all, and I mean all, of Kevin Bacon (he's a cop). The performances weren't all that spectacular. I never believed a word Matt Dillon was saying, and the rest of the cast just sort of phoned in their work. I did enjoy the three way love scene with Dillon, Richards, and Campbell. And I did like the background music. Although the movie took place in Florida, the music made me feel like I was in New Orleans for some reason. Anyway, if you enjoy looking at beautiful people, and I certainly do, go ahead and check out Wild Things but don't expect to really like the story, because while it started out OK, by the time you get to the last 20 minutes, it all just falls apart.
