Parents' Guide to Wild Things 2

Movie R 2004 95 minutes
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Common Sense Media Review

By Ellen Twadell , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 18+

Dreary sequel full of sex and violence.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 18+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 16+

Based on 1 kid review

What's the Story?

WILD THINGS 2 is a sequel to the 1998 film, and was released directly to video and DVD. The plot centers around a wealthy young woman, Brittney (Susan Ward), a seemingly perfect high school student with a tragic past. When her millionaire stepfather, Niles Dunlap (Tony Denison) is lost in a plane crash, she is orphaned and a legal battle over his estate begins. One of Brittney's classmates, trouble-making Maya (Leila Arcieri), claims to be Dunlap's illegitimate daughter, and a DNA test seems to corroborate this claim. An insurance investigator (Isaiah Washington) smells a rat and starts to delve deeper into the case, finding a web of lies and betrayal. The film devolves into a mess of murders and seductions, until very little is left of the cast and nothing is left of sympathy for the surviving characters.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say ( 1 ):

Where the original movie was provocative and surprising, the sequel is stale and full of plotless sex and violence. Wild Things 2 tries to follow a noir tradition, but it's too distracted by slow-motion shots of young ladies in bikinis and it lifts plot twists straight from the original. This is not a good movie for families or younger viewers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the fact that very few of the characters striving for personal gain through crime actually achieve it. Does crime pay? Is any amount of money worth the repeated betrayals depicted in the film?

Movie Details

  • In theaters : March 6, 2004
  • On DVD or streaming : May 20, 2004
  • Cast : Katie Stuart , Leila Arcieri , Susan Ward
  • Director : Jack Perez
  • Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s)
  • Studio : Columbia Tristar
  • Genre : Thriller
  • Run time : 95 minutes
  • MPAA rating : R
  • MPAA explanation : strong sexuality, language and violence
  • Last updated : September 20, 2019

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