In this post series, I’ve been rewatching the movies I was obsessed with as a pre-teen and teen. Wild Things came out when I was 12, and it was THE movie everyone was whispering about at school. I was probably (definitely) far too young to watch it, but somehow I did. I haven’t revisited it since – until now. Here’s how the experience of rewatching it went down…
Mandalay Entertainment
1. I don’t remember much about this movie except the pool makeout scene. And I know there’s a PLOT TWIST but since I can’t remember the plot it’s hard to say what that twist is.
2. Wait, Bill Murray is in this??!
3. These credits have been going for 84 years.
4. Wow, Matt Dillon’s hair is truly ‘90s and truly terrible.
5. I’m so nervous, this is gonna be very problematic isn’t it.
6. Of course no one is taking the talk on sexual harassment seriously.
7. This must have felt like such a ~different~ role for Neve Campbell at the time.
8. Okay so Kevin Bacon put her character in jail over a really minor crime? She’s gonna want revenge isn’t she.
9. Matt Dillon’s pants are up to his nipples.
10. What kind of school has SAILING?!
11. Oh wow I remember this cheer!
12. God, Denise Richards is achingly pretty here.
13. Is it even a ‘90s movie without “Semi Charmed Life” playing?
14. I had a top with a dragon design on it just like this one Neve Campbell is wearing! Natalia Imbruglia also wore one in the “Torn” video clip I think.
Mandalay Entertainment
15. Denise Richards’ mum walking around in that snake skin underwear is rather intense.
16. I should learn the characters names, shouldn’t I? Okay so Denise Richards is Kelly, Neve Campbell is Suzie, Matt Dillon is Sam Lombardo and Kevin Bacon is Ray Duquette.
17. This movie sure does love these shots of Sam riding through the swamps. ~Symbolic~.
18. Omg this car washing scene. That male gaze. Ooft.
19. Oh that’s right, Kelly says Sam raped her right but it’s all a hoax, right? Like, he’s in on it for some reason?
20. Shit, this sex scene is a lot. I regret watching this at my desk.
21. Sam had an affair with Kelly’s mum??? She is more pissed that he made a move on her daughter than the fact her daughter was raped.
22. This is awful.
23. How is Sam Lombardo the last person to know he’s been accused of rape?! A STUDENT TOLD HIM WTF?!
24. All this dialogue about poor Sam being the victim of a rape accusation and how it will destroy his life is making me ill.
25. It was a mistake to watch this in the year 2018.
26. Are the police just like, not gonna approach him at all?
27. Ohhhh Bill Murray is his lawyer?!
28. I am so bored. I don’t care that this terrible man is being harassed and beaten – he ain’t innocent. Even if he didn’t rape her, he is a skeeeeeze.
29. Ugh this discourse about the fact she was on drugs and he was an upstanding citizen is TOO REAL.
30. “I don’t fuck my students.” Whyyoualwayslying.gif.
Mandalay Entertainment
31. Of course he’s only arrested when TWO people have come forward.
32. This movie is obsessed with lingering shots of biblical imagery.
33. SPEED THINGS UP GUYS.
34. This plot is making me furious.
35. Right, so Kelly, Suzie and Sam all worked together to lie about Sam raping them so that they could get money out of Kelly’s mother.
36. But like…he is still sleeping with his underage students. And manipulating them. He’s gross.
37. I am sooooooooo uncomfortable.
38. I hope something terrible happens to this fucker.
39. I am so sick of the male gaze on Kelly.
40. I WANT TO VOMIT at this threesome scene.
41. Duquette is onto him.
42. Wait, is Duquette in on it too? I have a vague memory of that.
43. Duquette thinks Kelly and Sam are the masterminds, but it’s Suzie and Sam, I think?
44. Suzie, don’t call Sam straight after the cop visits you! You fool.
45. Don’t go straight to Kelly’s place! Ugh.
46. Even when Kelly is literally trying to drown Suzie, the camera is obsessed with her boobs.
47. This is what I remember! Them making out in the pool.
Mandalay Entertainment
48. Of course it’s framed through the male gaze of Duquette literally filming them. What a voyeuristic creep.
49. How many times do I have to see Denise Richards’ boobs in this movie?
50. Neve Campbell must’ve negotiated that out of her contract because she hasn’t had to get hers out on camera once.
51. Do they know Duquette is watching? I feel like they secretly do.
52. Duquette is DEFINITELY shady.
53. Hang on, doesn’t Kelly think Sam murders Suzie but really they fake Suzie’s death?
54. Why are Duqette’s pants so high? Were pants really this high in the ‘90s?
55. WHO IS THIS WOMAN COP SHE IS THE WORST!! She is so misogynistic and now she is gonna make out with Sam?!?!?
56. No woman was involved in the creation of this movie were they?
57. WHAT IS HAPPENING IS DUQUETTE ATTACKING KELLY OR IS SHE ATTACKING HIM?? WHO IS IN ON WHAT??? WHAT IS HAPPENING?????!
58. Did he actually kill her?!
59. Oh wow, yes.
60. This whole thing stinks.
Mandalay Entertainment
61. Oh hello Kevin Bacon butt. Finally, some male nudity.
62. KEVIN BACON SCHLONG.
63. How did I forget about that?!
64. One of these men is definitely going to murder the other.
65. “You’re killing me.” That is very on the nose.
66. Duquette is for real not very smart hey.
67. SUZIE! SHE’S ALIIIIIIVE!
68. Wait, which kid did Duquette kill out in the glades?
69. Davey? Who’s Davey? Have they not mentioned this before or have I just not been paying enough attention?
70. Oh, he’s a kid Duquette killed because of…some TL;DR backstory that is being explained way too late?
71. Now that they’ve killed Duquette, Sam doesn’t trust that Suzie won’t kill him. Probably his smartest move tbh.
72. Is he about to kill her?
73. OH NOPE SHE’S KILLED HIM.
74. Hahahhahahahaha.
75. I am kind of here for Suzie secretly being a genius and fucking them all over.
76. Wait, Kelly was her NIECE?! Ewwwwwwww.
77. Okay, I love that last shot of her on the boat. That’s big dick energy right there.
78. I would watch a series of just her conning and killing terrible men.
79. These flashbacks in the credits are so unnecessary. We get the plot and how it fits together, guys. You don’t need to hammer it over our heads.
80. Oh god I especially did not need to see Sam trying to pull Suzie’s tooth out.
81. WAIT BILL MURRAY WAS IN ON IT???
82. Well. That sure was a ride.