Wild Things
Encyclopedia
Wild Things is a 1998
erotic thriller
film starring Matt Dillon
, Neve Campbell
, Kevin Bacon
, Denise Richards
, Theresa Russell
and Bill Murray
. It was directed by John McNaughton
. In some countries the film was released as Sex Crimes. An uncut version of the movie, adding seven minutes to its runtime, was released on DVD in 2004 and includes a change to Kelly and Suzie's relationship. The movie gained notoriety for featuring several sex scenes - in particular, one involving a man and two women simultaneously - that were more explicit than is typically seen in mainstream, big-budget Hollywood movies. It spawned several direct-to-DVD sequels.
The film has a MPAA rating of R for strong sexuality, nudity, language and violence. Times guidelines refer to a strong menage a trois
scene (involving Dillon, Campbell and Richards, who is in the nude) and some passionate girl-girl kissing (Campbell and Richards, both of whom are topless). There is also incidental male frontal nudity (Bacon).
by two students, Kelly Van Ryan (Richards) and Suzie Toller (Campbell). Lombardo hires lawyer Kenneth Bowden (Murray) to defend him.
At trial Suzie admits that she and Kelly had made the whole thing up to get revenge on Lombardo: Suzie for him leaving her in jail and Kelly for him having an affair with her mother, Sandra (Russell). Kelly's wealthy socialite mother Sandra (Russell) is humiliated by the scandal, and Lombardo and Bowden negotiate a hefty settlement for libel. Lombardo meets Kelly and Suzie and it is revealed that the three had been working (and sleeping) together, and planned to split the money.
Police Detective Ray Duquette (Bacon) becomes suspicious. He tells both Kelly and Suzie that Lombardo transferred the money to an off-shore account. Suzie starts to panic and goes to Kelly for help; Kelly assures Suzie that they can trust each other, but separately tells Lombardo that they may have to get rid of her. Unbeknownst to them, Duquette is videotaping their rendezvous.
Even though they agreed not to meet again, Kelly and Lombardo take an intoxicated Suzie to the beach. Lombardo is seen raising a bottle, and then Suzie is heard screaming. After wrapping the body in plastic, they throw it in the trunk of the car and drive out to the swamp, where Lombardo disposes of it. Suzie is reported missing by her family the next day and Duquette and his partner, Gloria (Daphne Rubin-Vega
), are called in. Suzie's blood and teeth are later found on the beach and her car is found by the bus terminal. After seeing his continued investigation, his superior insists that he drop the case. Regardless, he goes to Kelly's house to confront her. When he arrives, she appears to attack him, shooting him in the arm, leaving him no choice but to kill her in self-defense. No charges are filed against Duquette, but he is fired and loses his pension.
Later, it is revealed that Lombardo and Duquette had been working together the entire time. Although Lombardo is not pleased that Duquette killed Kelly instead of framing her as originally planned, Duquette insists that it leaves fewer loose ends. The two drink a toast to "no loose ends", and agree to go fishing on Lombardo's sailboat the following day.
While on the luxury sailboat far out to sea, Lombardo knocks Duquette overboard, but he is able to climb back aboard and attack Lombardo. However, he is shot in the leg with a spear by Suzie, who is still alive. She shoots and kills Duquette as revenge for killing her friend, Davie, years before. Suzie then poisons Lombardo with a drink she poured for him and knocks him overboard, leaving him to drown.
It is then revealed that Suzie had planned the whole thing in order to get all the money and revenge on both Lombardo and Duquette: Lombardo for leaving her in jail and Duquette for killing her friend Davie. Suzie had discovered that Lombardo and Kelly were sexually involved and used it to her advantage. As for Kelly's death, she had not attacked Duquette as he had claimed. In reality, when she tried to escape the guest house when he entered, he punched her to incapacitate her then broke into the gun case and shot her twice with his gun. He then used her hand to shoot himself in the shoulder with her gun.
Bowden comes upon Suzie and tells her how the money had been divided. She kisses him on the cheek, then walks off.
, indicating a mixed-positive response. Variety
praised the casting of Dillon, Bacon, Campbell, Richards, Russell, Murray and Snodgress "you have an ensemble that appears to be enjoying the challenge of offbeat roles and unusual material. There's not a wrong note struck by the game group of players." The magazine also praised the film as "original" with a "glossy, unreal quality that nicely dovetails with the pulse of the drama."
school in Coconut Grove, Florida
.
, never saw release in the theatres and went straight to video, as did a third film called Wild Things: Diamonds in the Rough
(2005). The sequels recycle much of the plot, dialogue, and direction of the first film, albeit with different actors. All three films, for example, take place in Blue Bay, and its high school, Blue Bay High. The fourth film in the series, Wild Things: Foursome
(2010), starred Ashley Parker Angel
, with Marnette Patterson
and Jillian Murray
portraying the two lead characters.
In February 2006, it was reported that Campbell and Richards will appear in Backstabbers, and producers are trying to get more of the original's cast to star as well. Although Backstabbers would reportedly reunite members of the cast and crew of Wild Things, it would not be a sequel. Backstabbers will go into production in late 2010 and will be released in 2011.
1998 in film
-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...
erotic thriller
Erotic thriller
The erotic thriller is a film and literary sub-genre which consists of a mixture between erotica and thriller. The genre increased in North American popularity from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, before declining in marketability.-1980s:...
film starring Matt Dillon
Matt Dillon
Matthew Raymond "Matt" Dillon is an American actor and film director. He began acting in the late 1970s, gaining fame as a teenage idol during the 1980s.- Early life :...
, Neve Campbell
Neve Campbell
Neve Adrianne Campbell is a Canadian actress. After beginning her career on stage, and on numerous commercials, she starred on the Canadian television series Catwalk. She then rose to international fame on the Golden Globe-winning 1990s television series Party of Five, playing the role of teenager...
, Kevin Bacon
Kevin Bacon
Kevin Norwood Bacon is an American film and theater actor whose notable roles include Animal House, Diner, Footloose, Flatliners, Wild Things, A Few Good Men, JFK, Apollo 13, Mystic River, The Woodsman, Trapped, Friday the 13th, Hollow Man, Tremors, Death Sentence, Frost/Nixon, Crazy, Stupid, Love....
, Denise Richards
Denise Richards
Denise Lee Richards is an American actress and former fashion model of Croatian and Welsh descent. She has appeared in films including Starship Troopers, Wild Things, and The World Is Not Enough...
, Theresa Russell
Theresa Russell
Theresa Russell is an American actress.-Biography:Russell was born Theresa Paup in San Diego, California, the daughter of Carole Platt and Jerry Russell Paup. She attended Burbank High School, but did not graduate. She married English film director Nicolas Roeg , in 1982...
and Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
. It was directed by John McNaughton
John McNaughton
John McNaughton is an American film and television director, originally from Chicago, Illinois.-Biography:His first feature film, made in 1986, was Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, a film McNaughton directed, co-wrote, and co-produced. Numerous complications plagued the controversial film,...
. In some countries the film was released as Sex Crimes. An uncut version of the movie, adding seven minutes to its runtime, was released on DVD in 2004 and includes a change to Kelly and Suzie's relationship. The movie gained notoriety for featuring several sex scenes - in particular, one involving a man and two women simultaneously - that were more explicit than is typically seen in mainstream, big-budget Hollywood movies. It spawned several direct-to-DVD sequels.
The film has a MPAA rating of R for strong sexuality, nudity, language and violence. Times guidelines refer to a strong menage a trois
Ménage à trois
Ménage à trois is a French term which originally described a domestic arrangement in which three people having sexual relations occupy the same household – the phrase literally translates as "household of three"...
scene (involving Dillon, Campbell and Richards, who is in the nude) and some passionate girl-girl kissing (Campbell and Richards, both of whom are topless). There is also incidental male frontal nudity (Bacon).
Plot
High school guidance counselor Sam Lombardo (Dillon) is accused of rapeRape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
by two students, Kelly Van Ryan (Richards) and Suzie Toller (Campbell). Lombardo hires lawyer Kenneth Bowden (Murray) to defend him.
At trial Suzie admits that she and Kelly had made the whole thing up to get revenge on Lombardo: Suzie for him leaving her in jail and Kelly for him having an affair with her mother, Sandra (Russell). Kelly's wealthy socialite mother Sandra (Russell) is humiliated by the scandal, and Lombardo and Bowden negotiate a hefty settlement for libel. Lombardo meets Kelly and Suzie and it is revealed that the three had been working (and sleeping) together, and planned to split the money.
Police Detective Ray Duquette (Bacon) becomes suspicious. He tells both Kelly and Suzie that Lombardo transferred the money to an off-shore account. Suzie starts to panic and goes to Kelly for help; Kelly assures Suzie that they can trust each other, but separately tells Lombardo that they may have to get rid of her. Unbeknownst to them, Duquette is videotaping their rendezvous.
Even though they agreed not to meet again, Kelly and Lombardo take an intoxicated Suzie to the beach. Lombardo is seen raising a bottle, and then Suzie is heard screaming. After wrapping the body in plastic, they throw it in the trunk of the car and drive out to the swamp, where Lombardo disposes of it. Suzie is reported missing by her family the next day and Duquette and his partner, Gloria (Daphne Rubin-Vega
Daphne Rubin-Vega
Daphne Rubin-Vega is a dancer, singer, and actress. She is best known for originating the role of Mimi Marquez in the Broadway musical Rent, and the role of Lucy, in the Off-Broadway play Jack Goes Boating.-Biography:Rubin-Vega was born in Panama City, Panama, the daughter of Daphine Vega, a...
), are called in. Suzie's blood and teeth are later found on the beach and her car is found by the bus terminal. After seeing his continued investigation, his superior insists that he drop the case. Regardless, he goes to Kelly's house to confront her. When he arrives, she appears to attack him, shooting him in the arm, leaving him no choice but to kill her in self-defense. No charges are filed against Duquette, but he is fired and loses his pension.
Later, it is revealed that Lombardo and Duquette had been working together the entire time. Although Lombardo is not pleased that Duquette killed Kelly instead of framing her as originally planned, Duquette insists that it leaves fewer loose ends. The two drink a toast to "no loose ends", and agree to go fishing on Lombardo's sailboat the following day.
While on the luxury sailboat far out to sea, Lombardo knocks Duquette overboard, but he is able to climb back aboard and attack Lombardo. However, he is shot in the leg with a spear by Suzie, who is still alive. She shoots and kills Duquette as revenge for killing her friend, Davie, years before. Suzie then poisons Lombardo with a drink she poured for him and knocks him overboard, leaving him to drown.
It is then revealed that Suzie had planned the whole thing in order to get all the money and revenge on both Lombardo and Duquette: Lombardo for leaving her in jail and Duquette for killing her friend Davie. Suzie had discovered that Lombardo and Kelly were sexually involved and used it to her advantage. As for Kelly's death, she had not attacked Duquette as he had claimed. In reality, when she tried to escape the guest house when he entered, he punched her to incapacitate her then broke into the gun case and shot her twice with his gun. He then used her hand to shoot himself in the shoulder with her gun.
Bowden comes upon Suzie and tells her how the money had been divided. She kisses him on the cheek, then walks off.
Cast
- Matt DillonMatt DillonMatthew Raymond "Matt" Dillon is an American actor and film director. He began acting in the late 1970s, gaining fame as a teenage idol during the 1980s.- Early life :...
as Sam Lombardo - Kevin BaconKevin BaconKevin Norwood Bacon is an American film and theater actor whose notable roles include Animal House, Diner, Footloose, Flatliners, Wild Things, A Few Good Men, JFK, Apollo 13, Mystic River, The Woodsman, Trapped, Friday the 13th, Hollow Man, Tremors, Death Sentence, Frost/Nixon, Crazy, Stupid, Love....
as Sergeant Ray Duquette - Neve CampbellNeve CampbellNeve Adrianne Campbell is a Canadian actress. After beginning her career on stage, and on numerous commercials, she starred on the Canadian television series Catwalk. She then rose to international fame on the Golden Globe-winning 1990s television series Party of Five, playing the role of teenager...
as Suzie Marie Toller - Theresa RussellTheresa RussellTheresa Russell is an American actress.-Biography:Russell was born Theresa Paup in San Diego, California, the daughter of Carole Platt and Jerry Russell Paup. She attended Burbank High School, but did not graduate. She married English film director Nicolas Roeg , in 1982...
as Sandra Van Ryan - Denise RichardsDenise RichardsDenise Lee Richards is an American actress and former fashion model of Croatian and Welsh descent. She has appeared in films including Starship Troopers, Wild Things, and The World Is Not Enough...
as Kelly Lanier Van Ryan - Daphne Rubin-VegaDaphne Rubin-VegaDaphne Rubin-Vega is a dancer, singer, and actress. She is best known for originating the role of Mimi Marquez in the Broadway musical Rent, and the role of Lucy, in the Off-Broadway play Jack Goes Boating.-Biography:Rubin-Vega was born in Panama City, Panama, the daughter of Daphine Vega, a...
as Detective Gloria Perez - Robert WagnerRobert WagnerRobert John Wagner is an American actor of stage, screen, and television.A veteran of many films in the 1950s and 1960s, Wagner gained prominence in three American television series that spanned three decades: It Takes a Thief , Switch , and Hart to Hart...
as Tom Baxter - Bill MurrayBill MurrayWilliam James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
as Kenneth Bowden - Jennifer Bini Taylor as Barbara Baxter
Reception
The films holds a 64% 'fresh' rating among critics on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, indicating a mixed-positive response. Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
praised the casting of Dillon, Bacon, Campbell, Richards, Russell, Murray and Snodgress "you have an ensemble that appears to be enjoying the challenge of offbeat roles and unusual material. There's not a wrong note struck by the game group of players." The magazine also praised the film as "original" with a "glossy, unreal quality that nicely dovetails with the pulse of the drama."
Filming locations
Almost all the high school sequences, including many pool scenes, were filmed at Ransom EvergladesRansom Everglades
Ransom Everglades is an independent, non-profit, co-educational, college-preparatory day school serving grades six to twelve in Coconut Grove in Miami, Florida. It formed with the merger in 1974 of the Everglades School for Girls and the Ransom School for Boys...
school in Coconut Grove, Florida
Coconut Grove, Florida
Coconut Grove is the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhood of Miami, Florida in Miami-Dade County, United States. The neighborhood is roughly bound by North Prospect Drive to the south, LeJeune Road to the west, South Dixie Highway and Rickenbacker Causeway to the north, and Biscayne Bay to...
.
Related films
The sequel to the movie, 2004's Wild Things 2Wild Things 2
Wild Things 2 is the second installment in the Wild Things series. Released straight-to-video in 2004, it stars Susan Ward, Leila Arcieri, Isaiah Washington, Michael Chieffo and Linden Ashby...
, never saw release in the theatres and went straight to video, as did a third film called Wild Things: Diamonds in the Rough
Wild Things: Diamonds in the Rough
Wild Things: Diamonds in the Rough, a melodramatic erotic thriller, is the third installment in the Wild Things series. Released straight-to-video in 2005, it stars Sarah Laine, Sandra McCoy, Dina Meyer, Ron Melendez, Claudio Sad and Brad Johnson...
(2005). The sequels recycle much of the plot, dialogue, and direction of the first film, albeit with different actors. All three films, for example, take place in Blue Bay, and its high school, Blue Bay High. The fourth film in the series, Wild Things: Foursome
Wild Things: Foursome
Wild Things: Foursome is the fourth film in the Wild Things series. The film was released as a direct-to-DVD video on June 1, 2010.-Plot:...
(2010), starred Ashley Parker Angel
Ashley Parker Angel
Ashley Parker is an American singer and actor also known as Ashley Parker Angel.-Early years:Ashley Parker was born Ashley Ward Parker, the child of Darren and Paula Parker, and raised in the town of Redding, California. His grandparents are of German and Irish descent...
, with Marnette Patterson
Marnette Patterson
Marnette Patterson is an American actress who is perhaps best known for her role as Christy Jenkins on Charmed.-Career:Patterson portrayed Nicole Farrell on the NBC series Something So Right....
and Jillian Murray
Jillian Murray
Jillian Leigh Murray is an American Actress. She perhaps best known for her role as Portlyn on Sonny With a Chance and as Heather in An American Carol .-Life and career:...
portraying the two lead characters.
In February 2006, it was reported that Campbell and Richards will appear in Backstabbers, and producers are trying to get more of the original's cast to star as well. Although Backstabbers would reportedly reunite members of the cast and crew of Wild Things, it would not be a sequel. Backstabbers will go into production in late 2010 and will be released in 2011.