Something Wild
Something Wild
R | 07 November 1986 (USA)
Something Wild Trailers

A free-spirited woman "kidnaps" a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-con husband shows up.

Reviews
Cleveronix A different way of telling a story
Ketrivie It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.
Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
gedhurst Rewatching Something Wild recently some 30 years after I first saw it, I was struck by how vividly the craziness of the story stayed in my memory, but also how surprising and unexpected the plot turns were. This is a good sign that that someone took time to craft an excellent plot. In fact, the film makers have lavished tender loving care on every aspect of this film and given it a lot of heart.Melanie Griffith does everything but set the screen on fire as she takes Jeff Daniel's humdrum office worker life and turns it upside down. We're then taken on a helter-skelter anything-goes trip where the couple leave the city and the staid conventions of middle class life behind as they plunge into a passionate affair and journey deep into the comforting familiarity of small town America with its motels, folksy shops and and kindly people. Ironically this is where the greatest danger lurks in the shape of old flame Ray Liotta, grinning maniacally and flipping the madcap whimsy into insane violence.Every minor character on this trip fills you with good vibes, in sharp contrast to the sinister kind of twist that current-day Hollywood mainstream gives to bit players. The soundtrack, for fans of 80s music, is fantastic - you're bound to hear stuff you haven't heard for ages.This film works on many levels: the actors are charming and charismatic, and their parts are well and sympathetically written. It's a loving memoir of a materialistic decade that many thought was money-obsessed but was filled with many hapless characters like this reviewer who lived similar episodes in their own lives: except not so wild!
deickos This movie is what I call entertainment. Melanie Griffith is so amusing as the sorceress - her performance here is my favorite. This film is pure art, so frugal and so full at the same time. Jonathan Demme manages to fulfill any possible expectation one may have from such a film, I mean you can find everything there: there is action of course, love, fun, and great songs. I love these rappers coming in the middle of the story from nowhere - this is art, when you feel you can do anything.
Predrag Something Wild is somewhat of a lost gem. It is by far and away the best thing that Griffith has ever done. She's gritty, intelligent, ironic and never plays for schlock. She was very well directed by Demme, appearing controlled and reserved in her character's journey. The veiled references to Louise Brooks and Frida Kahlo in Lulu/Audrey's character are a welcomed and an insidiously wonderful touch. She is brilliantly supported by Jeff Daniels and Ray Liotta. Something Wild also contains the best New Wave soundtrack ever attached to a film, of course assembled by Laurie Anderson and John Cale. Amazing what can happen to a soundtrack when the talent behind it is knowledgeable, pertinent and relevant. The music is integral and perfectly matched to the action.Good performances by all Melanie Griffith, with that little-girlie voice, is always an appealing actress, and Liotta is effectively funny and frightening. Jeff Daniels is perfect too he's one of these actors who never calls attention to himself, but never puts a foot wrong. Demme directs with splendid efficiency. Add lucid cinematography from Tak Fujimoto, and a great score, and you have a winner.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
asc85 After seeing this movie on my VCR after it came out, I'm not surprised this film failed to find its movie-going audience. It's simply a very difficult movie to classify, which is why I liked it so much, and why I applaud what Demme did in this film. It starts out as a screwball comedy, with very hip and funny lines. But once the Ray Liotta character is introduced, it becomes very dark, chilling, and scary. How many films have EVER been successfully made like this? Not very many. I always found "Heathers" to be somewhat similar to "Something Wild" in this regard, but "Heathers" is not as good as this one.The characters in "Something Wild" are extremely well-written, especially Jeff Daniels, who likes to call people by the name on their name tags. Melanie Griffith is both sexy and hilarious, and Ray Liotta is scary! All in all, if you haven't seen this movie, it's worth watching although it is also a shock to the system.