Wild Things (1998)

Swamp-noir with a body count of plot twists. The late 90s' most knowing piece of sleaze, finally in an edition that takes it seriously.

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The film

A guidance counsellor (Matt Dillon) is accused of assault by two students (Denise Richards and Neve Campbell), and that's roughly the last thing in the film you can take at face value. McNaughton — who made Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, of all things — stacks double-cross on double-cross until the mid-credits scenes are still rewriting the story as the lights come up.

Bill Murray's ambulance-chasing lawyer steals every scene he's in. It's trash, it knows it's trash, and it's constructed like a Swiss watch — the most rewatchable film in this catalogue.

Unrated vs theatrical

The unrated edition runs about ten minutes longer than the theatrical cut. Despite the label, most of the additions are plot and character — including an extended ending — rather than what you'd assume. Both cuts are worth having, which is exactly what the Arrow set provides.

Editions: what to look for

Arrow Video's limited edition 4K carries new restorations of both cuts from the original camera negatives, a new McNaughton commentary, a fold-out poster and a booklet on the film's place in the genre's history. It's the definitive release by a distance — older bare DVDs can't compete.