History Film / WildThings

* RealityEnsues: While no criminal charges are filed against him, Duquette is still fired by the police department and has his pension revoked after killing Kelly, despite his insistence that he had no choice but to use deadly force, as (a) This is the second such incident he's been involved in, and (b) This is a situation he was repeatedly told to stay out of, only to ignore his superior's orders, a major violation of police protocol. [[spoiler: It's then subverted twice when we learn that (a) Ray and Sam have been in cahoots and thus Ray WANTED to get fired, and (b) Flashbacks show that Ray did in fact murder a defenseless Kelly, meaning the department's decision was completely appropriate.]]

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wildthingsposter_3632.jpg]][[caption-width-right:300:''[[TagLine They're dying to play with you.]]'']]

* FanDisservice: Suzie and Kelly get into an heated fight by the pool complete with some bitch-slaps and mouth cuts, during which Suzie tried to drown Kelly.

** Every film in the Wild Things series strives to go [[SerialEscalation further]] to make each plot twenty times more convoluted and confusing than the previous film's. Chances are, if you are the protagonist, the antagonist, the victim, a background character... hell, if you're ''in the film'', you are in on the scheme and may be weaving some [[GambitRoulette incredibly complex plans]] of your own. If there are two things that "Wild Things" is known for, it's the incredibly sexy lesbian scenes, and this trope. Also death. [[KillEmAll Lots and lots of death.]]

The film starts with Sam Lombardo (Dillon), a high school guidance counselor in Blue Bay, Florida, being accused of rape by Kelly Van Ryan (Richards), one of his students. Ray Duquette (Bacon) and his partner are assigned to the case. The charges appear to be unsubstantiated until Suzie Toller (Campbell) comes forward and says Lombardo raped her too. Lombardo hires low-rent lawyer Ken Bowden (Murray) to represent him and seems sunk until Suzie admits she and Kelly made up the charges to get revenge on Lombardo for past wrongs. Sam is awarded $8.5 million in a settlement with Kelly's mother and suddenly everyone wants a piece. The movie devolves into [[GambitPileUp a scheme of epic porportions]].

* DisproportionateRetribution: Did any of these people really deserve to ''die'' for how they'd wronged [[spoiler: Suzie?]]. Even [[spoiler: Ray]] arguably deserved to be in prison rather than dead.

* GenreShift: It starts out as a formulaic ClearMyName plot, complete with Bill Murray as a sleazy lawyer trying ThePerryMasonMethod... until the one hour mark. That's when it's revealed that the defendant was working with his accusers for a damages settlement, but they all have their own plans, which quickly create a JigsawPuzzlePlot.

* HatesBeingTouched: Suzie, [[spoiler:although it's possible she's just faking the trait, like she is with a lot of others.]]
* HateSink: Sergeant Ray Duquette, despite initially seeming to be the HeroAntagonist uncovering the [[VillainProtagonist Villain Protagonists]] scheme, is later revealed to be a vicious DirtyCop who would frequent and beat prostitutes. Prior to the film, he murdered Suzie's friend and had Suzie herself sent to juvie on bogus charges. Joining Sam on the scheme, he murders Kelly in cold blood when they try to frame her for Suzie's alleged murder. It's also revealed that a large portion of Suzie's scheme was to get revenge on Duquette.
* HeroAntagonist: [[spoiler:Ray starts out as this, seeking to be a SympatheticInspectorAntagonist looking into Sam's rape case, as well as Sam, Kelly and Suzie's scheme. He loses this when his true colours and past actions are revealed, as well as when he gets involved in the scheme. At which point he's designated as a full villain.]]

* IDrankWhat: [[spoiler:Susie murders Sam by poisoning his drink.]]

* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:Sam, Kelly and Ray all deserve the fates they suffer at Suzie's hands. She gets a PetTheDog moment when she sets aside $1 million for Ruby and Walter, the people who raised her and served as a substitute family. She also pays Bill Murray for his help.]]

* MirrorScare: Used when [[spoiler:Kelly suddenly shows up in Sam's motel room after the trial, just before it it's revealed that they were partners]].

** It's mentioned that Kelly's father killed himself, and how it did a number on Kelly. Her emotionally distant and superficial mother doesn't seem to help things.]]

* AmoralAttorney: Ken Bowden is not above cheating workers' comp by wearing a neck brace in public without an actual neck injury. Sandra Van Ryan's own attorney (played by Creator/RobertWagner) is hinted to be one, though he gets beat down by the judge when he attempts to intervene in the suddenly disintegrating case after Suzie cracks on the stand.

''Wild Things'' is a 1998 erotic thriller film directed by John [=McNaughton=], starring Matt Dillon, Creator/KevinBacon, Creator/DeniseRichards, Creator/NeveCampbell, and Creator/BillMurray. In some countries the film was released as ''Sex Crimes'' or ''Sexcrimes''.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wildthingsposter_3632.jpg]]

* BitchInSheepsClothing: This is regards to at least three of the main characters, but a special mention should go to [[spoiler:Ray Duquette]]. He acts like a hardworking police officer when he ultimately [[DirtyCop isn't]].

* ChickMagnet: Sam.

There were three DirectToVideo sequels, which largely followed the same basic plot as the original, though the sex scenes were racier.

* BigBad: [[spoiler:Suzie Toller is playing everyone like a fiddle throughout tbe entire film so she can have the money for herself.]]

The film starts with Sam Lombardo (Dillon), a high school guidance counselor in Blue Bay, Florida, being accused of rape by Kelly Van Ryan (Richards), one of his students. Ray Duquette (Bacon) and his partner are assigned to the case. The charges appear to be unsubstantiated until Suzie Toller (Campbell) comes forward and says Lombardo raped her too. Lombardo hires low-rent lawyer Ken Bowden (Murray) to represent him and seems sunk until Suzie admits she and Kelly made up the charges to get revenge on Lombardo for past wrongs. Sam is awarded 8.5 million dollars in a settlement with Kelly's mother and suddenly everyone wants a piece. The movie devolves into [[GambitPileUp a scheme of epic porportions]].

* RealityEnsues: While no criminal charges are filed against him, Duquette is still fired by the police department and has his pension revoked after killing Kelly, despite his insistence that he had no choice but to use deadly force, as (a) This is the second such incident he's been involved in, and (b) This is a situation he was repeatedly told to stay out of, only to ignore his superiors orders, a major violation of police protocol. [[spoiler: It's then subverted twice when we learn that (a) Ray and Sam have been in cahoots and thus Ray WANTED to get fired, and (b) Flashbacks show that Ray did in fact murder a defenseless Kelly, meaning the departments decision was completely appropriate.]]

* PostRapeTaunt: Teacher Sam Lombardo is accused of rape by a female student and another girl. They both claim that after the deed, he told them "no little bitch could ever make me cum". [[spoiler:Subverted later on when it turns out that Sam and the two girls were running a scam together.]]

* ObfuscatingStupidity: [[spoiler:Suzie's outer appearance as white trash masks her extraordinary intelligence, enough to hatch a scheme that allows her to get away with committing multiple murders and conning a rich heiress out of millions of dollars.]]