Wild Things (1998)
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A high school guidance counselor in South Florida becomes embroiled in a web of deceit and violence after being accused of rape by two students.
The story
In the upscale Miami suburb of Blue Bay, a popular high school guidance counselor named Sam Lombardo is accused of rape by two students: the wealthy Kelly Van Ryan and the outcast Suzie Toler. As the accusations lead to his removal from his position and a high-profile legal battle, a police officer begins investigating the claims. The investigation uncovers a complex web of motives and secrets surrounding the girls and the counselor, leading to a series of tense confrontations and revelations about the true nature of the accusations and the relationships between the involved parties.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being accused of rape by students Kelly Van Ryan and Suzie Toler, counselor Sam Lombardo is put on trial. During the proceedings, it is revealed that the girls fabricated the charges to extort money from Kelly's wealthy mother. Sam and the girls are later revealed to be accomplices in a scam. However, a police detective, Ray Duquette, begins investigating them. The plot thickens as Suzie and Kelly's relationship turns volatile, leading to Suzie's 'death' at the hands of Sam. Duquette, who is secretly in league with Sam, eventually kills Kelly during a confrontation. The final twist reveals that Suzie is the mastermind; she staged her own death, orchestrated the events, and eventually eliminates Duquette and Sam before escaping with the stolen money. The film is noted for its complex, multi-layered plot involving several characters who are secretly working together or against each other.
- First release year
- 1998
- Runtime (minutes)
- 108
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John McNaughton
- Writers
- Stephen Peters · writer
- Cast and characters
- Matt Dillon · Sam Lombardo; Kevin Bacon; Neve Campbell · Kelly Van Ryan; Denise Richards; Theresa Russell; Robert Wagner; Bill Murray; Daphne Rubin-Vega
- Genres
- erotic thriller; crime; drama
- Themes
- social class; deception; revenge
- Tone and mood
- salacious; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- courtroom drama; mystery; thriller
- Content notes
- nudity
- Reception
- The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics and has been regarded as a cult classic.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 64% · scale: percentage · review count: 121; Metacritic · score: 51 · scale: 100 · review count: 20; CinemaScore · score: C+ · scale: A to F
- Awards and nominations
- Blockbuster Entertainment Award · Favorite Supporting Actress – Suspense · win; Best Supporting Actor · Rushmore and Wild Things · win; Best Music · 25th Saturn Awards · nomination; Best Kiss · MTV Movie Awards · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film is loosely based on several figures in Greek tragedies.; The original screenplay included a gay scene between the two male leads.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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