Netflix 1990s Cult Classic Mystery Thriller Still Famous For One Erotic Scene
You know all those memes that jokingly declare that someone is watching a film for the plot, only to reveal that “the plot” is a particularly attractive character? Back in the ‘90s, the ultimate example of that was Wild Things, a movie filled with nothing but hot people and one erotically charged scene after another. To this day, the film is famous (or infamous) for a pool fight turned makeout scene between the two leading ladies, and you can see what the fuss is about by streaming Wild Things on Netflix.
The Premise
What is Wild Things about, though, beyond luscious ladies locking lips? It begins with a high school guidance counselor being accused of assault by two different students, which looks to be a cut-and-dry case.
Soon, though, we find out this trio is working together on a lucrative scam, but their best-laid plans eventually lead to a film filled with deception and even murder.
While Wild Things is something of a cult hit that many audiences never even watched, it has a surprisingly stacked cast of familiar faces, including Neve Campbell and Denise Richards in leading roles as the two scheming women.
The third member of their conniving trio is played by Matt Dillon, the counselor-turned-conspirator who has to stay one step ahead of authorities like a police sergeant played by Kevin Bacon. Look closely and you’ll even find beloved stars like Bill Murray playing bit roles, too.
The Famous Scene
Arguably, the cast alone is a great reason to tune into Wild Things, but what made this movie so popular among fervent fans back in the day was the erotic relationship between our three conspirators.
This leads to both a threesome scene and the aforementioned pool makeout between Campbell and Richards. Such scenes were so popular that when DVD players came out advertising a feature where film fans could flit between two different scenes, many tongue-in-cheek fans and even tech reviewers joked that this feature was made just for enjoying Wild Things.
Critically Panned, But A Financial Success
Between the talents of the actors and the desire of audiences to see some celebrity skin, Wild Things proved to be a modest hit at the box office, earning $67.2 million against a budget of only $20 million.
This was enough of a success to green-light three sequels, but they are all direct-to-video trash. Plus, each sequel more or less serves as a bad rehash of the first film with different actors, so you’re better off simply exploring the original.
Critics were a bit less excited about Wild Things than fans when this mystery thriller was first released. On Rotten Tomatoes, it barely eeks into “fresh” status with a 64 percent critical rating.
Critics generally agreed that the movie does a good job of providing erotic thrills but that your ability to enjoy the film as a whole is highly contingent on your ability to enjoy schlocky cinema.
It’s Not A Bad Thriller
Wild Things isn’t the best mystery thriller you’ll ever see, and it’s most certainly not the worst. The plot itself is very middle of the road, but as I mentioned before, the plot is really just an excuse to see hot people doing hot things onscreen. The movie delivers on that in spades, and if you just happen to enjoy the mystery at the heart of this naughty narrative, that’s just the cherry on top.
Stream It Now
GFR SCORE
One wild fact about Wild Things is that Robert Downey Jr. nearly got the role of the sketchy high school counselor, casting that was meant to capitalize on his well-known problems with drugs (problems which, incidentally, made him too much of an insurance risk to cast).
That means that Wild Things could have arguably killed the MCU before it ever got off the ground. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, making it easier for fans of superhero cinema to enjoy this erotic thriller on Netflix.
