The River Wild

Directed by Curtis Hanson, The River Wild follows Meryl Streep’s Gail Hartman as she and her family (David Strathairn’s Tom and Joseph Mazzello’s Roarke) embark on a rafting trip in Idaho – with the unexpected presence of two friendly yet suspicious figures (Kevin Bacon’s Wade and John C. Reilly’s Terry) complicating matters to a progressively tangible degree. Filmmaker Curtis Hanson, working from Denis O’Neill’s screenplay, delivers a deliberately-paced yet consistently watchable thriller that benefits from its superb performances, as Streep’s predictably compelling work here is more than matched by her talented costars – with, especially, Bacon’s charismatic (and increasingly sinister) turn standing as an ongoing highlight within the proceedings. The inclusion of several tense sequences within the picture’s lackadaisical midsection helps alleviate the palpably padded-out vibe, while the exciting, comparatively action-heavy third act ensures that the whole thing concludes on a decidedly spellbinding note – which ultimately does cement The River Wild‘s place as a refreshingly adult-oriented thriller that boasts some seriously impressive water-based stunts and set pieces.

*** out of ****