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Wild Things (1998)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 10/04, 2/06, 12/16

WildTh
2/06: Similar to Body Heat but much hotter, Wild Things is a steamy, stylish neo-noir thriller with terrific performances.

Wild Twists sounds more like it because there's an endless supply of them. On the other hand, the cinematography is top-notch, bringing the most out of the Floridian ambience.

Matt Dillon is fantastic. It's one of my favorite performances in his oeuvre. Also terrific are Kevin Bacon, Neve Campbell, Denise Richards (who gives, without question, the best performance of her career), and Bill Murray.

All in all, all the credit goes to John McNaughton for delivering an underrated kinky, neo-noir picture through Wild Things.

12/16: Wild Things is the best trashy neo-noir picture ever made.

Denise Richards will always be memorable for this. The first time I saw the film in 1998, I took the story as given. By the time the ending came (don't forget to stay longer for it; otherwise, you'll completely miss the rest of the story), I was surprised but felt the outcome made sense.

Now, seeing Wild Things again, the novelty wears off quickly because I already knew what happened, so instead, I aimed for the cinematography, dialogue, and acting performances. What a great cast. Matt Dillon, Bill Murray, Kevin Bacon, Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, Theresa Russell, and Daphne Rubin-Vega are outstanding and have great lines.

An epiphany occurred to me during one scene when Robert Wagner and Matt Dillon came together: the former was the original actor in A Kiss Before Dying and the latter reprised his role in the remake thirty-five years later. It's pretty cool to see.

All in all, Wild Things is a stylish neo-noir thriller that promises to shock the first-time viewers.