---
title: "Something Wild"
year: 1986
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/something-wild"
fi1m_id: "something-wild"
imdb_id: "tt0091983"
tmdb_id: 11300
wikidata_id: "Q644485"
fi1m_score: 82
critics_score: 74
critics_reviews: 14
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:19.961772+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Something Wild (1986)

Directed by Jonathan Demme · 1h 54m · MPA R · Crime, Comedy, Romance

## Identity

Something Wild

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/something-wild
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** something-wild
- **IMDb ID:** tt0091983
- **TMDB ID:** 11300
- **Wikidata ID:** Q644485
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091983/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/11300, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q644485

**Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 74 from 14 reviews

*In a sentence:* Jeff Daniels makes being led astray look like a difficult administrative decision

> Jonathan Demme’s crime comedy is funny, sexy and unusually fond of the people other films would hurry past. Jeff Daniels and Melanie Griffith make it worth following, even when the script begins to settle for familiar trouble.

## Synopsis

Charles Driggs (Jeff Daniels) and Audrey Hankel (Melanie Griffith) are an unlikely pair at the centre of a road trip involving sexual attraction and petty crime. Their encounter takes Charles away from respectable routines and into the company of someone less concerned with keeping to them. As the two get to know each other, romance competes with the complications of their journey. Jonathan Demme directs Frye’s story, which combines crime, comedy and romance against a backdrop of everyday American life. Ray Liotta also stars as Ray Sinclair.

## Review

*Something Wild* is funny, sexy and generous towards its oddballs; we recommend it, with a reservation about where the script takes them. Jonathan Demme takes the familiar prospect of a respectable man being led astray and gives the strangers around him more attention than that premise requires. The pleasure comes from meeting them, watching them and wondering what they might do. The trouble comes when Frye’s screenplay has to make all that wandering serve a plot.

Jeff Daniels makes Charles Driggs’s self-consciousness funny without asking us to despise him for it. Opposite Melanie Griffith’s Audrey Hankel, he seems to be working out how much enthusiasm he can safely admit. Griffith gives their early encounters an ease that makes his hesitation funnier, and their attraction does not need explaining. We laughed at his efforts to look comfortable with her sexual confidence, then felt unexpectedly fond of him. Daniels keeps the embarrassment small enough to recognise.

As Ray Sinclair, Ray Liotta gives the film a threat that makes us watch him closely. His force sharpens the responses of the other two leads, without reducing them to supporting players in their own story. Griffith, in particular, has enough range to keep Audrey from becoming merely an invitation for Charles to enjoy himself. Demme remains interested in her when the easy joke would be to make everything about his discomfort.

Tak Fujimoto’s cinematography makes room for faces, including those belonging to people who will never carry the story. That attention supports Demme’s interest in the ordinary places the journey passes through, giving us reasons to look beyond the central couple. Norma Moriceau’s production design and costumes make the film’s 1980s fashions hard to miss. Some choices now draw attention to themselves, but the care given to the surroundings helps the minor encounters feel like something more than interruptions.

Craig McKay’s editing gives the opening a welcome headlong pace without losing the small hesitations that make Daniels funny. The changes of mood are less consistently persuasive, although the performances provide continuity when the storytelling becomes abrupt. Laurie Anderson and John Cale provide the music, alongside a rock soundtrack that makes the journey feel sociable and unpredictable. The songs sustain the excitement of going somewhere new, even when the plot becomes easier to anticipate.

The principal weakness is Frye’s increasingly conventional plotting. The opening lets attraction and bad judgement set the pace, and for a while almost any encounter seems worth following. As the crime story becomes more insistent, it leaves less room for the casual comedy and incidental people that first interested us. A smaller reservation is that petty crime is treated as an attractive habit rather too readily. Demme and the cast keep it entertaining, but the later situations are less surprising than the behaviour in those early encounters.

Within the comedy of a respectable man getting into trouble, Demme’s warmth makes a substantial difference. He does not assume that eccentricity makes someone ridiculous, or that a small part deserves only a single joke. His attention to the people surrounding Charles and Audrey gives the film pleasures beyond the couple’s chemistry. Choose it for Daniels and Griffith, and allow for a script that becomes less adventurous than they are.

*Fi1m score 82, published 15 September 2026.*

## Straight answers

**Is Something Wild worth watching?**

*Something Wild* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys a crime comedy that is fonder of its oddballs than its plot, and we scored it 82. Jeff Daniels and Melanie Griffith carry it, and Jonathan Demme's attention to the strangers along the road is the real pleasure. The script grows more conventional as the crime story takes over.

**How long is Something Wild, and what is it rated?**

*Something Wild* runs 1h 54m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a crime and comedy film.

**Where can I watch Something Wild in the US?**

*Something Wild* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, Pluto TV and Apple TV in the US, and it is also available to rent from Apple TV from $3.99. It leaves Tubi on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Something Wild, and is it suitable for children?**

*Something Wild* carries a US R certificate and has no UK rating, so it is not for children. It involves sexual attraction handled with some frankness, petty crime treated as an attractive habit, and a real sense of threat once Ray Liotta's Ray Sinclair appears. Adults and older teenagers used to that mix will not find it hard to take.

**How does Something Wild compare to After Hours?**

*Something Wild* is the warmer film and [*After Hours*](https://film.one/film/after-hours) the more unnerving one, though both follow a respectable man escaping his routine. Demme is generous towards his eccentrics and gives Melanie Griffith a full character; Scorsese keeps his predicament tighter and sharper, and his women exist chiefly to frighten Griffin Dunne. Choose Demme for company and Scorsese for anxiety.

**What should I watch after Something Wild?**

After *Something Wild*, try [*After Hours*](https://film.one/film/after-hours) (1985, Fi1m 80): Another respectable man’s escape from routine, with considerably less reassurance. Then [*The Lady Eve*](https://film.one/film/the-lady-eve) (1941, Fi1m 90): Barbara Stanwyck makes seduction look effortless and male dignity look temporary; and [*The Last Seduction*](https://film.one/film/the-last-seduction) (1994, Fi1m 81): For the attraction to bad behaviour, with the kindness removed.

### Reviews we read (14)

- **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (A): Directed by Jonathan Demme at the top of his game, the film takes viewers on an exciting, dynamic, wonderfully unpredictable ride grounded in the idea that romance is like a long, sometimes contentious negotiation between opposites who grow a little. The opposites-attract chemistry between Griffith and Daniels is electrifying, full of danger, kink, and spark. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/something-wild-1798168196)
- **Slant Magazine**, Joseph Jon Lanthier (85/100, inferred): One of Demme’s best films, it stylizes characters addicted to reinvention as a means of expression and exposing absurdity, providing a rhythm to which we can revolutionize our private lives through personal revisionism that is humanistic rather than masturbatory. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/something-wild-blu-ray/)
- **Empire**, William Thomas (70/100, inferred): The film is breezy fun as an artefact of the mid-80s. It singles out the superb soundtrack and bizarro cameos for praise while noting that the trendiness dates fast. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/something-wild-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Sheila Benson (70/100, inferred): Demme returns to form with a free-spirited road movie that mixes '60s energy and '80s yuppie satire, buoyed by three standout performances from Griffith, Daniels, and Liotta. Benson highlights the vibrant soundtrack and production design while noting a lingering late-'60s attitude toward petty crime that feels dated. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-11-06-ca-16498-story.html)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (70/100, inferred): The film starts with a headlong erotic charge in its opening scenes but settles into a more conventional groove later on. It remains a good movie thanks to Demme's skill at finding the bizarre in the ordinary and the strong chemistry between Daniels and Griffith. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/something-wild-1986)
- **The New Yorker**, Pauline Kael (70/100, inferred): Demme turns a familiar genre premise into something authentically wild, crossing from anarchic screwball comedy into scary slapstick thriller territory. Kael singles out the performances—especially Griffith's range and Daniels' subtle transitions—and Demme's democratic eye for bit players and pop-culture energy. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1986/11/17/doubling-up)
- **Time Out**, GA (70/100, inferred): The critic praises Demme's film as an original mix of screwball comedy and film noir that stands out from similar yuppie nightmare movies through its sympathy for eccentric characters. Demme's warm observation of everyday American life, the rock soundtrack, and strong performances from Daniels, Griffith and Liotta are highlighted as key pleasures. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/something-wild-1)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the offbeat thriller conceptually and stylistically compelling under Demme’s direction, with an unlikely couple on the run whose joyride turns into a nightmare after an ex-con appears. Daniels transforms convincingly from straitlaced to loosened-up, though Griffith falls short in fully conveying her character’s complexity. [Read](https://variety.com/1985/film/reviews/something-wild-1200426801/)
- **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (30/100, inferred): The film begins with a promising screwball-comedy premise but fails to sustain momentum across its shifting genres, becoming something of a disappointment. Canby praises the performances, especially Daniels, Griffith, and newcomer Liotta, while criticizing the screenplay's lack of real payoff. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/07/movies/film-something-wild.html)
- **The Playlist**, Jessica Kiang (85/100, inferred): The piece celebrates the film as a quintessential Demme work: a fun, funky road-movie romance filled with vibrant Americana details, craftsmanship, and an effervescent spirit that rewards rediscovery. It notes the strong soundtrack and memorable supporting moments while acknowledging its commercial flop status at the time. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/10-essential-jonathan-demme-films-20170427/)
- **The Ringer**, Lindsay Zoladz (85/100, inferred): The critic highlights the film's gleeful, sloppy road-trip energy and odd-couple chemistry between Jeff Daniels and Melanie Griffith, calling it the American Breathless of the 1980s with caustic comedy, worn-in texture, and ramshackle rhythms that make it easy to love. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2017/04/26/pop-culture/favorite-jonathan-demme-movies-silence-of-the-lambs-stop-making-sense-65a3105d450e)
- **The Skinny**, Jamie Dunn (85/100, inferred): The critic celebrates Jonathan Demme's compassionate, democratic approach to characters and filmmaking, describing Something Wild as his very finest film for its screwball energy, vivid supporting figures, and love of everyday Americana. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/opinion/in-praise-of-jonathan-demmes-soulful-cinema)
- **Collider**, Andre Dellamorte (80/100, inferred): The critic praises Demme's ability to capture quirky Americana and elicit strong performances from the cast, especially Griffith and Daniels, in this tonal-shifting comedy-crime film. It highlights the film's singular vision and charm despite its modest scale. [Read](https://collider.com/something-wild-criterion-blu-ray-review/)
- **Paste**, Kenji Fujishima (80/100, inferred): The critic praises Demme's 1986 road movie for its philosophical take on self-awareness rather than self-improvement, following the odd-couple pairing of a buttoned-up yuppie and a free-spirited woman on an East Coast adventure that shifts from screwball comedy to thriller. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/jonathan-demme/the-road-trip-within-jonathan-demmes-something-wil)

## Details

- **Director:** Jonathan Demme
- **Director:** Jonathan Demme
- **Writer:** E. Max Frye
- **Cinematography:** Tak Fujimoto
- **Editor:** Craig McKay
- **Music:** Laurie Anderson, John Cale
- **Production design:** Norma Moriceau
- **Costume design:** Norma Moriceau
- **Producer:** Jonathan Demme, Kenneth Utt
- **Cast:** Jeff Daniels as Charles Driggs; Melanie Griffith as Audrey Hankel; Ray Liotta as Ray Sinclair; George 'Red' Schwartz as Counter Man; Margaret Colin as Irene; Leib Lensky as Frenchy; Tracey Walter as The Country Squire; Maggie T. as Country Squire Bulldog
- **Runtime:** 1h 54m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 7 November 1986
- **Genres:** Crime, Comedy, Romance
- **Budget:** $7 million
- **Box office:** $8 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_B6fLIdhgo

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: streaming
- Tubi: free, hd, leaving 2026-10-01
- Pluto TV: free
- Apple TV: add-on, hd
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CL, CO, DE, ES, FI, FR, GB, IE, IN, IT, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *After Hours* (1985), Fi1m 80: Another respectable man’s escape from routine, with considerably less reassurance. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/after-hours.md)
- *The Lady Eve* (1941), Fi1m 90: Barbara Stanwyck makes seduction look effortless and male dignity look temporary. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lady-eve.md)
- *Pierrot le Fou* (1965): Romance, crime and a road journey that refuses to behave.
- *The Last Seduction* (1994), Fi1m 81: For the attraction to bad behaviour, with the kindness removed. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-last-seduction.md)
- *Wild Tales* (2014), Fi1m 83: Argentinian comic nightmares where ordinary frustrations become dangerous with alarming speed. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/wild-tales.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/something-wild