In New York City, Charlie Driggs is a seemingly conventional banker whose wife has left him. In a café, a brunette who calls herself Lulu spots him leaving without paying. After a teasing confrontation, the two leave in a 1967 Pontiac GTO convertible that, Lulu says, she acquired from a divorce. They embark on a bizarre adventure, including crashing and abandoning the car, stealing from a liquor store and leaving a diner without paying. Believing Charlie to be married, Lulu discloses that her real name is Audrey, and takes him to visit her mother, Peaches. Audrey now adopts a different persona, becoming a demure blonde. Coming to accept Audrey's free-wheeling lifestyle, Charlie realizes he is falling in love with her. The relationship takes a dark turn when her violent ex-convict husband, Ray Sinclair, shows up at a high school reunion; Ray wants her back. Dumping fellow classmate Irene, Ray takes Audrey and Charlie on a short-lived crime spree, and intentionally breaks Charlie's nose during it. The trio end up in a motel room where Audrey learns Charlie is no longer happily married and, under duress, reluctantly realizes she has to stay with Ray. Ray tells Charlie to leave, warning him to keep away, but Charlie secretly tails them when they leave the motel. Charlie devises a plan to extract Audrey from Ray's grasp, and having done so, he takes Audrey to his home. However, Ray finds out where Charlie lives, shows up to his home, and begins beating up Charlie. During the scuffle, Charlie stabs Ray, who dies. Audrey is taken away for questioning. Charlie later quits his job and comes looking for Audrey at her apartment, but she has moved. Outside the café where they first met, Audrey appears with a station wagon. She invites Charlie into her car and back into her life.
Cast
Reception
Something Wild was acclaimed by critics. The film currently holds a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 45 reviews, with an average rating of 7.39/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Boasting loads of quirky charm, a pair of likable leads, and confident direction from Jonathan Demme, Something Wild navigates its unpredictable tonal twists with room to spare." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Home media
Something Wild was released on VHS by HBO Video on July 15, 1987. The film was later released on DVD on June 5, 2001. The film was presented in its original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The only special feature was the original theatrical trailer. The film was released on Criterion Collection DVD and Blu-ray Disc on May 10, 2011. The Blu-ray has a new, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by director of photography Tak Fujimoto and approved by director Jonathan Demme. It also features new video interviews with Demme and writer E. Max Frye, the original theatrical trailer, and a special booklet featuring an essay by film criticDavid Thompson. The film is currently available on the Amazon Prime platform.
Soundtrack
The film's soundtrack was released as an LP and CD, featuring only 10 of the 49 tracks in the title credits. All the school reunion songs performed by The Feelies, including "Fame" and "I'm a Believer", were omitted, and The Troggs' "Wild Thing", which gave the film its title and which was sung in the convertible scene, was also left out. ;Track listing
