Rent Something Wild (1986)

From Joyride to Jekyll & Hyde - Something Wild review by griggs

Jonathan Demme’s Something Wild is a blast–at least for a good chunk of its runtime. It kicks off with a quirky, rebellious energy that feels totally unpredictable, like jumping in a stranger’s car without knowing where you’ll end up. The soundtrack is incredible, full of jangly rock and new wave that keeps the momentum going and perfectly matches the film’s restless spirit. The production design is just as fun, bursting with bright colours, roadside Americana, and offbeat characters that make the world feel alive and full of surprises.

Melanie Griffith starts out as a total wildcard–commanding, mysterious, dressed in black with a matching wig, dragging Jeff Daniels into chaos. But disappointingly, the film tames her. Suddenly, she’s demure in white, her hair bleached, and instead of leading the adventure, she’s waiting to be rescued. As the film loses its initial spark, it starts to drift. Then Ray Liotta storms in like a lightning bolt, injecting the film with real danger and excitement. His raw intensity pulls everything back on track, making the final act a wild, gripping ride. A flawed but seriously fun film.

Very Original Romantic Comedy/Drama - Something Wild review by GI

Director Jonathan Demme's 80s romcom that breaks the conventions of the genre and becomes something else entirely and for that, in many ways, it's a unique film for its time. Basically it's a boy meets girl story on the surface as boring, yuppie Charlie (Jeff Daniels), newly promoted at work, craftily attempts to leave a restaurant without paying in a personal act of societal rebellion but is challenged by the sexy and erotic Lulu (Melanie Griffiths), who basically takes him on a short road trip of sex and risky episodes as Charlie effectively becomes Lewis Carroll's Alice and on a crazy whim jumps down the rabbit hole with Lulu as a temptress who will alter the course of his life. But when she takes him back home to her small-town and a high school reunion pretending they are married they have to contend with her psychopathic ex-con husband Ray (Ray Liotta - in his first major film role). The film then turns into a cat and mouse game as Ray claims Lulu back for himself but doesn't bank on Charlie's uncharacteristic reaction. The film's climactic violence is a stark contrast to the somewhat whimsy of the first half of the film making this closer to, say, Blue Velvet (1986) than a traditional romcom. Daniels is superb as the rabbit caught in the headlights of Lulu's sexual charm and her wayward, wild lifestyle. Griffiths is nuanced and sexy and Liotta quietly menacing. It's a film worth rediscovering and an 80s film that sometimes gets forgotten.