For my money, the nineties is the best decade for movies, with favorites like Magnolia, Eyes Wide Shut, Pulp Fiction, and Scream at the peak of a mountain of great viewing. Although there are lots of iconic gems that get more than enough spotlight, some lesser-known titles still deserve more time in the sun than they get, the 1998 film Wild Things being an example. Now it’s on Netflix, the tide could very well turn.
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Wild Things is a movie gem of the ’90s
In recent years the erotic thriller has seen a slight comeback thanks to the likes of The Voyeurs starring Sydney Sweeney and the 2023 phenomenon Saltburn, which definitely fits nicely in the sub-genre.
If you’re a fan and haven’t seen Wild Things, fire up Netflix as soon as humanly possible. Seriously.
Directed by John McNaughton, the movie stars Matt Dillon (There’s Something About Mary) as Sam Lombardo, a high school guidance counselor in Florida whose life is turned upside down when he’s accused of a horrific crime by two female students, played by Neve Campbell (speaking of Scream) and Denise Richards.
- JUST ADDED: New on Netflix this week
In steps Kevin Bacon‘s police detective Ray Duquette, who determines to get to the bottom of things under the belief a scam is being pulled.
Packed with outlandish twists and turns, just when you think you’ve got it all figured out the rug is hastily pulled from under you yet again. I’ve seen the film a few times now and always have an absolute blast, even knowing what bombshell is about to drop next.
Arguably one of the most fun efforts of its decade, Wild Things is the kind of movie we see all too rarely, but that makes it feel all the more special. Although a cult classic, I think it’s about time we ditched the “cult”.
10 must-see erotic thriller movies
Make Wild Things a priority. If you’re still in the mood to dig deeper into the sub-genre’s history and later years after that, on the other hand, then any of the 10 below films are a terrific place to start:
- Basic Instinct (1992)
- Body Heat (1981)
- Bound (1996)
- Crash (1996)
- The Handmaiden (2016)
- In The Cut (2003)
- Single White Female (1992)
- Swimfan (2002)
- Unfaithful (2002)
- The Voyeurs (2021)
Wild Things is streaming on Netflix.
