Wild Things

Infobox Film | name = Wild Things


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = John McNaughton
producer = Kevin Bacon (executive)
Steven Brown (line)
Steven A. Jones
Rodney Liber
writer = Stephen Peters
starring = Matt Dillon
Kevin Bacon
Denise Richards
Neve Campbell
Bill Murray
music = George S. Clinton
distributor = Columbia Pictures
released = March 20 1998
runtime = 108 min.
language = English
budget = $20,000,000 (estimated)
followed_by = "Wild Things 2" (2004)
"" (2005)
imdb_id = 0120890

"Wild Things" is a 1998 neo-noir erotic-crime film starring Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, Denise Richards, Neve Campbell 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.

Plot

Two female students—wealthy, popular Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards) and goth trailer dweller Suzie Toller (Neve Campbell)—accuse Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon), a high school guidance counselor, of rape. Before this, Sam gives Kelly a ride home, at which time the they listen to both Third Eye Blind and Smash Mouth on a car stereo. During the trial, Suzie reveals that Mr. Lombardo did not rape her and that Kelly fabricated the charges because she was in love with him and angry he slept with her mother. The trial humiliates Van Ryan and her entire family, and Lombardo receives a generous settlement ($8 million), which he uses to retire peacefully. It is then revealed that Sam, Kelly, and Suzie orchestrated the scandal with the aim of taking the money from the trial.

As police sergeant Ray Duquette (Kevin Bacon) becomes suspicious, Suzie becomes increasingly nervous and Sam worries that she will undermine their plan. After Kelly has an affair with Suzie, Sam and Kelly take her to the seaside, where Sam murders Suzie with a wine bottle. In the investigation into Suzie's disappearance, police find her blood and teeth by the ocean. Ray discovers Sam is the killer and goes to Kelly's house to protect Kelly from Sam. In the confrontation between Kelly and Ray, both are shot, Kelly fatally. Ray explains how she shot at him and he had to return fire. Ray is discharged from the police force following this incident, while Sam spends time at a tropical resort. Sam goes to his room and finds Ray there — Ray and Sam had been collaborating the whole time.

They later go cruising in Sam's boat in the ocean, where Sam knocks Ray overboard. When Ray climbs back onboard, Suzie — alive and now with blonde hair — shoots him with a spear gun and Ray disappears into the surf. Before Ray falls over, he pleads to Sam for help. Sam says "you should not have killed Kelly", signifying he and Suzie showed no remorse in having to kill Ray. As Sam relaxes, Suzie gives him a drink laced with poison and knocks him overboard. She sails the boat back to shore by herself.

A series of flashbacks explains the story. Suzie devised the plan, in which she wished to receive the money from the trial, as payback to her wealthy stepsister Sandra Van Ryan (Kelly's mother) for being scorned and abandoned by their father. Suzie also wanted to kill Ray in revenge for killing her friend, Davie, some time ago. She manipulated all the characters in the plot, making Sam seem the mastermind and faking her own death. She was underestimated because of her delinquency and poor background. Those who knew her say her IQ was around 200 and, if she put her mind to it, "she could do anything." As for Kelly's death, Ray shot her first and then put a gun in her hand and made it appear that she had shot at him.

Cast

*Matt Dillon as Sam Lombardo
*Kevin Bacon as Sergeant Ray Duquette
*Neve Campbell as Suzie Marie Toller
*Theresa Russell as Sandra Van Ryan
*Denise Richards as Kelly Lanier Van Ryan
*Daphne Rubin-Vega as Detective Gloria Perez
*Robert Wagner as Tom Baxter
*Bill Murray as Kenneth Bowden

Filming locations

Almost all the high school sequences, including many pool scenes, were filmed at Ransom Everglades school in Coconut Grove, Florida.

Related films

The sequel to the movie, 2004's "Wild Things 2", never saw release in the theatres and went straight to video, as did a third film called "" (2005). The sequels recycle much of the plot, dialogue, and direction of the first film, albeit with different actors.

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.cite web|title=Richards and Campbell Re-Team for 'Wild Things'|url=http://www.hollywood.com/news/Richards_and_Campbell_ReTeam_for_Wild_Things_/3480236|publisher=WENN via hollywood.com |accessmonthday=May 15|accessyear=2008] 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 2009 and will be released in 2011.

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0120890|title=Wild Things
*rotten-tomatoes|id=wild_things|title=Wild Things