People usually remember Wild Things because of its controversial love scene involving three characters, but the film deserves more attention for its constant plot surprises. From the beginning, the story kicks off with wealthy teenager Kelly (played by Denise Richards) trying to seduce her guidance counselor, Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon).
From that moment, things start escalating quickly, leading to a tangled web that pushes viewers to look for the Wild Things ending explanation. One thing that helped this movie stand out during the 1990s is how it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Nothing in Blue Bay is as simple as it seems (Photo: Wild Things/Mandalay Entertainment)Even though it might not make the list of that decade’s finest movies, its chaotic energy leaves a strong impression. While some people may have pressed play because of its adult content, they often found themselves pulled in by the twists and the final scenes that left them curious and shocked.
What Happened At The End Of Wild Things
Ray Duquette (Kevin Bacon) ends up losing his job after he shoots Kelly, claiming he did it in self-defense. Investigations clear him of any wrongdoing, so no legal charges are brought against him. Not long after, it becomes clear that Ray and Sam had secretly teamed up.
They’re seen on a boat trip aboard Sam’s yacht, where Sam tries to get rid of Ray by tossing him overboard. Ray climbs back on the boat, only for Suzie (Neve Campbell), who had pretended to die earlier, to show up alive.
She kills both men and sails away on Sam’s boat. During the credits, extra scenes begin to reveal how Suzie had planned every step. She used pictures of Sam’s relationship with Kelly to blackmail him. She also arranged for Ray and Sam to grow close, dragging Ray into the shady business.
To fake her death, she even went as far as removing her teeth. More flashbacks confirm that Ray did not kill Kelly out of fear or panic but with intention. At the end, Suzie meets up with Kenneth (Bill Murray) and gives him both a bag full of cash and a cheque.
All The Reveals
With so many twists thrown into Wild Things, it’s easy to lose track unless the events are pieced together again. Things first start to look strange when Kelly accuses Sam of rape, especially since we saw her trying to seduce him earlier.
Suzie’s support of Kelly’s story becomes the next surprise, as they were never close and even seemed hostile toward each other. Another shocker arrives in court when the girls admit that they lied. After this, we learn that Suzie, Kelly, and Sam were all secretly working together.
The next unexpected development is that Sam starts planning to kill both girls, and Ray begins to sense that something’s off. Ray also becomes Sam’s partner, which is another twist. Then comes the discovery that Suzie isn’t dead.
The biggest surprise is that she had been pulling all the strings. Some might view Ray intentionally killing Kelly as an added twist, but clues had already hinted at his intentions. Suzie’s total control of the events puts Wild Things in the same league as crime dramas known for their shocking outcomes.
Yet, it reaches a point where the surprises become excessive. By the time we find out that Ray and Sam are working together, you can already predict that more turns are ahead.
In an interview with Independent, screenwriter Stephen Peters said the film was meant to poke fun at erotic thrillers from the ‘90s like Basic Instinct by piling on twist after twist until it feels like a game that the viewer willingly gets sucked into.
Although the writer stated his appreciation for such thrillers, he mentioned wanting to create a version that exaggerates those common elements until they become entertaining in a more outrageous way. That’s what makes Wild Things fun compared to films that try to stay too serious.
Suzie’s Revenge
Towards the conclusion of Wild Things, the story’s tone changes and gives new meaning to all the events. What started like a confusing tale of teenage girls punishing a man who refused one of them turns into a full-blown crime thriller, and by the final scenes, it becomes a revenge plot.
One of Suzie’s motivations is clearly to punish Ray for the murder of her friend Davey. Right from the first scene, when Suzie storms out after seeing Ray during an assembly, it’s obvious that there’s a painful history between them.
Though the movie doesn’t show us all the details of their past, what’s clear is that there’s a strong dislike. Early moments also show Sam teaching a class on sexual misconduct, hinting that the story will deal with accusations and moral boundaries.
The moment where Suzie and Ray face each other highlights just how much their mutual tension influences what happens next. Suzie doesn’t only want revenge on Ray. She wants to bring down Sam and possibly Kelly, too.
During her courtroom appearance, she says Ray failed her when she needed him most. This betrayal seems to be what drives her to involve him in her plan and later blackmail him. We never truly learn how close Suzie and Kelly were because most of what we saw was staged.
However, it’s reasonable to believe Kelly may have mistreated Suzie before, so this might have been her way of getting even. Even if she had no direct score to settle with Kelly, Suzie might still have seen her as a symbol of privilege and luxury.
This hatred of the rich is quietly present throughout Wild Things. Apart from Kelly, none of the main characters comes from money. They all fall under those who are easily tempted by the promise of wealth. Suzie, being the poorest, takes the biggest risks and ends up with the upper hand.
During a Flashback Files interview, director John McNaughton spoke about how the story subtly reflects social class tensions. When asked who truly wins at the end, the director pointed to Suzie—the girl from the trailer park—sailing off alone on a big yacht, leaving behind a trail of corpses.
He reflected on how the ‘90s were a time when wealth started getting concentrated, but this character, from the lowest rung of society, manages to beat everyone else. Suzie achieves payback not just on Ray, Sam, and Kelly, but also on a system that allowed them to treat her the way they did.
That angle gives Wild Things a touch of a social message about class, though Suzie’s revenge also reaches those from a lower status, like Sam.
How Wild Things Play With Misdirection
Rather than hiding its twists completely, Wild Things gives hints throughout the story, even though they’re cleverly buried under the surface. Many scenes contain dialogue that quietly prepares viewers for upcoming events. In one moment, Ray tells Jimmy (Cory Pendergast) that people often hide who they are.
Plot twists pile up faster than secrets in a small-town scandal (Photo: Wild Things/Mandalay Entertainment)That statement isn’t subtle—it’s a clue about the lies every character is telling. And yet, you can still spot their real personalities if you pay attention. What the film does is try to make the viewer question their first impressions.
Ray, for instance, gives off an uneasy vibe, especially in scenes with Suzie. Then the film flips things and paints him as the good guy who’s trying to protect the girls and catch Sam. Sam starts the story looking like a responsible, well-respected person.
He acts like someone who wouldn’t go near high school girls romantically, especially not students. But that image falls apart soon enough. As for Suzie, she never seems naive, but she suddenly acts jumpy and unsure of herself when Ray starts pressing her.
This kind of misdirection is one of Wild Things’ key tools. It helps the surprises feel more shocking because the audience begins to believe false ideas, even when the truth was visible earlier. That method helps the final scenes hit harder.
Among sexy thrillers, Wild Things stands out due to its wild plot turns and how those twists keep things entertaining. The ending matches the film’s intense energy and ties all the chaos together in a memorable way.
