Wild Things (1998) remains a twist-filled, racy erotic thriller

Movieweb says the 1998 erotic thriller Wild Things delivered a twisting plot and overtly sexual marketing that helped it stand out in the late-1990s wave of adult-leaning thrillers.

The film, directed by John McNaughton and released March 20, 1998 with a runtime of 108 minutes, stars Neve Campbell and Denise Richards alongside Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon, Robert Wagner and Bill Murray. Trailers and advertising leaned heavily on provocative scenes — including accusations of sexual assault, a court case and implied conspiracies — and the movie became notable for body-exposing sequences and memorable moments such as Bacon's shower exit. Critics found the narrative convoluted but entertaining; Roger Ebert wrote, "Wild Things is lurid trash, with a plot so twisted they're still explaining it during the closing titles. It's like a three-way collision between a softcore sex film, a soap opera and a B-grade noir. I liked it."

The piece notes some elements have not aged well, particularly the film's use of false assault allegations and teacher–student sexual content, and acknowledges Wild Things "won't be for everyone." The movie later generated a series of unconnected straight-to-DVD sequels that leaned into similar salacious material but did not surpass the original.

Key Topics

Culture, Wild Things, John Mcnaughton, Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, Kevin Bacon