Wild Things

Swamp princess Neve Campbell and vixen Denise Richards are high school students who shock their posh South Florida town by accusing counselor Matt Dillon of rape, but that's only the beginning of the twisted, erotic goings-on in this steamy tale of deception, seduction and a multi-million-dollar scam. Kevin Bacon, Theresa Russell, and Bill Murray also star; from director John McNaughton ("Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer"). 108 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital stereo, French Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English, French; audio commentary; deleted scenes; theatrical trailers.

Wild Things is the kind of lurid, trashy thriller that you'll either dive into with unabashed pleasure or turn away from in prudish disgust; it's entirely your choice, but we suggest the former option since it's obviously much more fun. The plot's so convoluted it's hardly worth describing, except to say that it's set in humid Florida and involves a respected high school teacher (Matt Dillon--yes, Matt Dillon as a teacher!) who is faced with accusations of rape by a student (Denise Richards, from Starship Troopers) who had been giving him the kind of attention most people would consider improper for such a "nice" young lady. Another student (Neve Campbell) raises a similar charge against the teacher, and that's when a police officer (Kevin Bacon) begins to investigate the allegations. Just when you think the movie's gone overboard with its shameless sex and absurdly twisted plot, in drops Bill Murray as an unscrupulous lawyer (of course) to spice things up with insurance scams and welcomed comic relief. As directed by John McNaughton (who has a way of making just the right moves with this kind of film noir melodrama), Wild Things is a bona fide guilty pleasure--the kind of movie you may be ashamed to enjoy, but what the heck, you'll enjoy it anyway. --Jeff Shannon