Sparks of creativity and attempts to bring at least bits of something new can occasionally be found in the unlikeliest of all places. One such instance is the fourth and final instalment of the series of sleazy exploitative quasi-erotic thrillers which began with the 1998 film Wild Things. Simply being the fourth instalment was enough inspiration for producers to add "Foursome" to the title and to the content formula, as opposed to the threesomes that were employed in the previous three films. It is a modest innovation, to be sure, but one that at least demonstrates a certain self-awareness about the franchise's raison d'être.
Like the previous two instalments, Foursome was made as a direct-to-video film and has next to nothing in terms of continuity with the 1998 original, apart from being set in Blue Bay, a fictional town in South Florida whose attractive beaches hide a sharp divide between the Haves and Have Nots. As in the preceding films, the main characters are teenagers, and they include Carson Wheetly (Ashley Parker Angel), son of Ted Wheetly, a professional race driver and purportedly the ninth wealthiest man in Florida. Carson and his glamorous girlfriend Rachel Thomas (Marnette Patterson), are throwing a massive party at his father's luxurious mansion. Carson encounters Brandi Cox (Jillian Murray), an attractive girl whom Rachel dismissively describes as the daughter of Ted's cleaning lady. When Ted soon afterwards dies in a car accident, Carson, much to his displeasure, discovers that he cannot inherit his father's wealth until he reaches the age of thirty. Matters are further complicated when Brandi accuses him of rape. Ted's attorney George Steuben (Ethan Smith), explains that Carson could access the inheritance earlier under specific conditions, such as marrying Rachel. Carson duly complies and pays off Brandi through a civil settlement, seemingly ending his legal troubles. It is soon revealed, however, that the entire affair was a scheme concocted by Carson, Rachel, and Brandi to obtain Ted's wealth. In the meantime, police detective Frank Walker (John Schneider), suspects foul play in Ted's death and begins investigating Brandi's and Rachel's pasts, whilst the young conspirators start plotting to kill one another to secure their ill-gotten gains for themselves.
Directed by Andy Hurst, who had previously worked on the scripts for earlier films in the series, Foursome functions less like a sequel and more like a remake of the original Wild Things. All elements of the formula are present: the South Florida setting, a convoluted crime mystery with morally questionable characters pursuing dubious agendas, and plenty of nubile young women in bikinis or skimpy attire. The most important ingredient of the Wild Things film series—the threesome—makes another appearance, though with a notable expansion. Two of the female participants are filmed whilst expressing different approaches to nudity: Marnette Patterson employs a body double, whilst Jillian Murray bravely bares her breasts, which, though satisfactory for the audience that cares about such details, are arguably the smallest among all the actresses in the film series. Another interesting element of the scene is that Carson, Rachel, and Brandi are joined by another young woman, Linda Dobson, played by Jessie Nickson—thus fulfilling the titular promise of a foursome.
Those scenes might have been considered "saucy" in the late 1990s, but by 2010, with broadband internet and significantly more explicit sexual content widely available, erotic thrillers of this stripe had lost much of their purpose. Another considerable limitation is the low budget, which mandated the use of a cast of relative unknowns. John Schneider, best known as Bo Duke in the vintage television series The Dukes of Hazzard from three decades prior, remains the only notable name in the proceedings. Schneider brings a certain professional sheen to his role as the investigating detective, and his presence provides the film with a modicum of credibility it might otherwise have entirely lacked. Critics have noted that Schneider is clearly a better talent than the material deserves, and his performance adds a welcome dash of colour to an otherwise undistinguished production.
Nevertheless, for more nostalgic viewers, and those genuinely seeking light-hearted escapist entertainment without higher expectations of quality, Foursome does deliver the goods. The production values are reasonably slick, the Florida locations remain attractive, and the multiple twists, however foreseeable to anyone familiar with the original film, provide a certain degree of entertainment value. Even the trademark explanatory flashbacks that reveal what the characters truly planned and wanted provide a twist that, whilst it might not make abundant sense, looks refreshingly different. The film acknowledges its own absurdity and leans into the cheese with something approaching enthusiasm.
Ultimately, Wild Things: Foursome is neither a good film nor a particularly memorable one. It is, however, a competent example of its particular subgenre—a late-era direct-to-video erotic thriller that knows precisely what it is and makes no pretensions towards anything loftier. For viewers in the mood for undemanding, sun-drenched escapism populated by beautiful people behaving badly, it serves its purpose adequately. That it manages occasional flashes of self-awareness and even a certain crude inventiveness is perhaps more than one might reasonably have expected from the fourth instalment of such an explicitly exploitative franchise.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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