A 1998 erotic thriller starring Denise Richards will be dropped from Netflix’s library soon. The R-rated film centers on two teenage girls who accuse a school counselor of a serious crime, which sets off a case that reveals a deeper conspiracy.
Wild Things leaves Netflix in July
From Wednesday, July 1, 2026, Netflix will no longer feature Wild Things on its platform (via What’s on Netflix).
John McNaughton directed the film, while Rodney M. Liber and Steven A. Jones wrote the script. It stars Denise Richards as Kelly, Kevin Bacon as Sergeant Ray, Matt Dillon as Sam, Neve Campbell as Suzie, Theresa Russell as Sandra, and Bill Murray as Kenneth.
Wild Things follows Kelly and Suzie, two high school students who accuse their school guidance counselor, Sam Lombardo, of sexual assault. When the matter hits court, one of the girls reveals that they had lied to frame Sam. However, the confession turns out to be a part of a far more elaborate scheme than anyone initially believed.
Interestingly, Robert Downey Jr. was initially set to play Sam Lombardo. The studio reportedly chose him for his then-publicized drug addiction issues. Director McNaughton said the decision was made during the MCU star’s rehabilitation period. Ultimately, things didn’t work out. “There were just too many lawyers and insurance people and bond-company people involved,” producer Rodney Liber said (via Entertainment Weekly).
Wild Things debuted in theaters on March 20, 1998. Although it received mixed reviews from critics, most praised the film for its unexpected twists and dark themes. On Rotten Tomatoes, it currently has a 65% Tomatometer score and a 54% Popcornmeter score. Meanwhile, IMDb reports a user score of 6.6/10, based on over 140K user votes.
Despite the divided critical response, it was a commercial success. Produced on a $20 million budget, Wild Things grossed $55.5 million at the global box office. In 2004, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released an unrated cut of the film on DVD.
