Sexcrimes

Wild Things is a cult classic film of the late 1990's due to several things. First the film seems to be known for its twists and turns (most of which are unpredictable- several foreshadowing occurs with a lot attention to detail to be had), then there's its famous pool scene involving Denise Richards and Neve Campbell.

The film is relatively slow paced and not too engaging in its first half (about 50 minutes or so) then around once the first major reveal is shown, everything picks up (the pacing and plot), it become more intriguing and overall engaging. We want to see what is going to happen next.

Due to its twists and turns, those are what elevates the film from being relatively subpar. Wild Things is a serious drama dealing with a serious topic (rape case and allegations) yet the manner everything unfolds is somewhat trashy and in an MTV type style (this appears to be the appeal). The acting all around is respectable and convincing. "Not everyone is as they appear".

Overall not exactly a great film but it's unpredictability in the second half keeps you guessing and engaged.

Good picture and sound quality, well cast, colours are strong and clear and the outdoor scenes are bathed in sunlight, skin tones look natural and not too bright. A playfully piano score and some pop music makes up the soundtrack.

Denise Richards & Neve Cambell did a good job in their roles. Richards plays a shallow spoilt beauty, a good character for her, she's not convicting anyone as a nuclear scientist. Bill Murray also adds a touch of comic relief. The film is a bit of a deconstruction of a fictional rich shallow community in the USA. A web of greed, corruption, conspiracy and lies quickly unravels. Neve Cambell was great playing a totally different character to Scream a year before. However comparing her figure to Denise Richards, Cambell does look a bit short and squat when they're both next to each other but I suppose the cinematographer couldn't do much about that. The ending is a bit dumb too, and the overuse of twists starts to make it feel very one note.

Overall though pretty stylish.

If you ever thought a crime thriller could be filmed in Aaron Spelling manner, you've got your movie. Everybody is so good looking and the plot twists more than Chubby Checker. However, in the end almost everything falls into place. You get your suspense, excitement, intrigue and lots of close-ups on some gorgeous hunks. Not so bad at all.

Yes, it's lurid. Yes, it's trashy. Yes, it doesn't stand up to close scrutiny. And yes, if you're the sort of person who specialises in spotting plot twists, then you're probably going to do well here.

But if you haven't seen this film before, and you're prepared for something a bit on the lurid and trashy side, and you can manage to steer clear of the many spoilers among the reviews here, then you just might find that Wild Things is a fun ride.

Because there are, it's true, a number of twists and turns, and not everyone sees them coming. And if you aren't a twist-spotter, but you enjoy movies with twists, then you are going to enjoy this one.

I thought it was great fun. And, let's be fair, who's watching Denise Richards' acting?

In Blue Bay's elite beach communities and into the murky waters of the Everglades, you would expect nothing beyond this venture until a guidance counselor (Matt Dillon) is accused of raping two high school students (Neve Campbell and Denise Richards). While they are two detectives on the cast (Kevin Bacon and Daphne Rubin-Vega), they find out there's more than meets the eye in the mystery of deceit, sex and greed.

Directed by John Mc Naughton (Herny:Portrait of a Serial Killer, Lansky, Normal Life) made an entertaining trashy noir that has an unique blend of sex, suspense, comedy and a twisted story. An terrific cast makes things enjoyable, which included:Theresa Russell, Robert Wagner and Bill Murray. This film wasn't much of a hit, when it was first released in the spring of 1998. But it turned into a cult hit on video.

The Unrated DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an good Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The Unrated DVD adds seven minutes of additional footage, which it has some good moments...especially during the end credits and the characters are more fleshed-out in the Unrated DVD. "Wild Things" has an good moody music score by George S. Clinton (Austin Powers Trilogy) and striking camera work by Jeffery L. Kimball (Jacob's Ladder, Stigmata, True Romance) are one of the highlights of this guilty pleasure film. Bacon is also the film's executive producer. Murray is a hoot in his minor role as Dillon's lawyer. Written by Stephen Peters. Panavision. (****/*****).