Kevin Bacon, Denise Richards, Neve Campbell and Matt Dillon elevated this underrated neo-noir beyond bargain-bin titillation
In Wild Things, John McNaughton’s gloriously underrated 1998 thriller, Florida has never felt seedier. The idyllic, upscale Miami suburb of Blue Bay is rocked when high school guidance counsellor Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) is accused of rape by two of his students: the wealthy teen socialite Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards) and the poorer, more socially outcast Suzie Toller (Neve Campbell).
On the stand at the much-publicised trial, however, the girls quickly break under cross-examination and reveal that the allegations were falsely concocted to exact revenge on Sam for a series of perceived wrongdoings. When the beleaguered teacher is awarded an $8.5m defamation payout, police sergeant Ray Duquette (Kevin Bacon) suspects that something is amiss and, against the orders of his superiors, sets out to uncover whether or not the trio were colluding from the start.
In Wild Things, John McNaughton’s gloriously underrated 1998 thriller, Florida has never felt seedier. The idyllic, upscale Miami suburb of Blue Bay is rocked when high school guidance counsellor Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) is accused of rape by two of his students: the wealthy teen socialite Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards) and the poorer, more socially outcast Suzie Toller (Neve Campbell).
On the stand at the much-publicised trial, however, the girls quickly break under cross-examination and reveal that the allegations were falsely concocted to exact revenge on Sam for a series of perceived wrongdoings. When the beleaguered teacher is awarded an $8.5m defamation payout, police sergeant Ray Duquette (Kevin Bacon) suspects that something is amiss and, against the orders of his superiors, sets out to uncover whether or not the trio were colluding from the start.
- 1/9/2024
- by Kevin Bui
- The Guardian - Film News
To celebrate the recently remastered re-release of Wild Things on 4K and Blu-ray, as well as its 25th anniversary fast approaching, we had the pleasure of chatting with star Denise Richards to reminisce about the sizzling cult thriller.
Popular and charming, student counsellor Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) is no stranger to being the focus of female attention within the moneyed cliques of Florida’s Blue Bay. However, his fortunes are about to change dramatically when one of the wealthiest students at his high school, sultry siren Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards), accuses him of rape. The charge looks sure to stick when another girl from the other end of the social spectrum, Suzie Toller (Neve Campbell), steps forward with her own allegations, but Detective Duquette (Kevin Bacon) smells something fishy, and the truth is as murky and dangerous as the alligator-infested swamps in the hinterlands of this affluent beach community.
Popular and charming, student counsellor Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) is no stranger to being the focus of female attention within the moneyed cliques of Florida’s Blue Bay. However, his fortunes are about to change dramatically when one of the wealthiest students at his high school, sultry siren Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards), accuses him of rape. The charge looks sure to stick when another girl from the other end of the social spectrum, Suzie Toller (Neve Campbell), steps forward with her own allegations, but Detective Duquette (Kevin Bacon) smells something fishy, and the truth is as murky and dangerous as the alligator-infested swamps in the hinterlands of this affluent beach community.
- 6/15/2022
- by Scott Davis
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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