I am curious as to why no one has realized the clear connection between Stiles Character Ellie, and the Electra complex, the counterpart to Freud's Oedipal complex. It is pretty clear that this is a remake of the Electra myth.

I found Stiles to be pretty good in this role. Overall, a pretty poor flick. I got the allegory, but still, it's not particularly effective at hitting where it aims.

1st watched 12/28/02 - 5 out of 10(Dir-Michael Steinberg): Ridiculously unsupported ending blows what for the most part was a very stylish, well acted, well-done horror/thriller movie. Julia Stiles does a superb job with her role of a tortured child with violent tendencies and the direction is sly and cunning, but for some reason the filmmakers decided to throw a curve in the last half hour that works for some movies but for this one destroyed all that had been built up to this point. To tell you much of the story wouldn't really matter because, just remember, the end isn't what is expected or should be unless the actors & actresses are lying to you throughout it. This is basically about a mother who becomes killed apparently by a break-in but through the twists and turns of the story-telling we are being led to believe that one of the children has something to do with it. That actress is then put through the paces and shown to be a definite possibility to the murder even to the point of imitating her mother after her death and definetly wanting to take her place. The movie should have been more about why she wanted to do this but we only get small hints about this. Then, all of a sudden, instead of exploring what I mentioned in the last sentence the aforementioned `stupid' & `meaningless' ending was thrown at us from left field. I think I've said enough, Yes I'm upset.(but I'll get by). Hopefully Steinberg will as well.

Julia Stiles was terrific in this strange movie about incest and murder. There was a interesting plot twist at the end but the majority of the movie was poor. Particulary weak was the father played by William H. Moses, he was very unconvincing and some of the side characters and the music was awful , didn't fit with the movie. ALl to odd.

If you're going to make a picture centering on a seductive nymphette with a fixation on keeping daddy all to herself, then do it with some courage and conviction. All you get here is slick innuendo for what's at the center of a routine murder mystery. If you're going to tackle this kind of subject matter, then TACKLE IT! On the plus side, Julia Stiles has the pouty, child-as-sex-symbol look nailed; and the rest of the cast also give some personality to their routinely drawn characters. All the ingredients for a good sleazy thriller are here, but sadly, it's all aimed at shocking only the most adolescent of sensibilities. Tasteful trash.

Predictable plot here. My husband & I guessed the ending half-way through the film.

There were many "huh?!" moments. For instance: When the heck did Lawson fall in love with the Julia Stiles character? I must have blinked and missed the entire development of that.

The characters competed with the plot for the "boring and predictable" prize. Julia Stiles did a pretty good job with the empty material she was given, but the other actors were not able to do much with their lame roles.

And the incest stuff . . . yuck!

The case to this DVD had some "If you enjoy this movie, you might want to check out" suggestions: The Babysitter, The Crush, etc.; ie, better-developed versions of this type of film. This movie had potential to be a crazy-girl-wreaks-havoc tour de force for Julia Stiles, as the other films were for Alicia Silverstone. It would have been really fun to see Julia Stiles chew the scenery and go on some major rampages.

Julia Stiles was the main draw for me to see this film, which genuinely lives up to its title (and then some). WICKED is a sneaky little twist on the let-me-be-your-wife-and-I-will-love-you-better-than-mom-ever-did genre, with great performances and excellently fleshed-out (NO pun intended) characters. Highly recommended for that late-night cable guilty pleasure.

I was not aware that Julia Stiles would do something like this, although I praise her for her acting skills. It is a good thing that this film was made before she hit it big. Unfortunately they keep showing this terrible film on hbo and cinemax. God help all those who have seen this film and to aide them from vomitting.

I think Julia Stiles is a beautiful actress, so I was anxious to pick this movie up when it premiered on video last week. I was hoping it wouldn't be one of those dumb attempts to capitalize on the success of a now-popular star (i.e.: "American Virgin" with Mena Suvari). The movie actually premiered at the Caanes Film Festival in 1998, so I was a little suspicious as to why they pushed the release date (on video).

First of all, I was pleased to find out that Julia WAS the star. The plot is far from original, and works basically on an entertainment level. However, it has an oddly engaging sense of style that keeps you interested. There are ways to take a formulaic plot, and transform it into something unique and fun--"Wicked" is a fine example. The camera angles, the lighting, the creepy undertones (i.e.: incest) of a seemingly pleasant suburban community, the pacing and subtle comic relief beneath all the tension make this worth watching. This is like the work of a first-time independent filmmaker--and I don't mean that in a bad way.

It's also worthy of seeing the beautiful Julia in a good, early performance. This may not be a masterpiece or even a guilty pleasure worthy of several viewings, but it's a good movie and a good rental.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

This is the WORST-terrible, over the top music, bizarre acting and script, and unlikable characters. I really don't understand how this movie even came to be. It's actually embarrassing to admit that I watched it and if you're reading this, wondering if you should give it a chance, the answer is no. The thing is, it's not just a bad movie, it's completely weird and I don't mean in a good way. Weird is fine and even brilliant if it's done right. This is weird like I ate a bag of mushrooms I found in a dumpster. In fact, I wish I had found a bag of mushrooms and ate them instead of watching this movie. What is with the writing?!?! What is wrong with you?! How did this get approved to be filmed AND produced AND distributed?

I'm not sure what kind of person would write the screenplay for this movie. It's very disturbing, having to do with love (not paternal) between daughters and fathers, with a twist of mystery. If you ever wanted to marry your father, DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE. Also, I would advise, if you are a female, don't watch this movie with your father.

When the wife of a middle class suburban family man is brutally murdered, his eldest daughter (Stiles) takes over for her in somewhat more than just cleaning and cooking. "Wicked" is a bland drama with a handful of second tier actors which implies a lot but shows little, stretches its meager plot to cover the run time, barely earns its R rating, pussyfoots around, is left open ended and inconclusive, has no atmospherics, poorly develops its characters, and is pretty much a waste of time. An insidious premise with a Brady Bunch execution. D+

What's the use of watching movies if you're unwilling or too prejudiced to spot a genuinely talented filmmaker, regardless of the genre (or the budget) he's working with? Michael Steinberg shows, in this particular movie at least, that he is such a talent; his virtuosity is reminiscent of De Palma in his prime (think "Body Double"), and some of his subjective tracking shots would put Carpenter to shame. It's true that the script is formulaic and unoriginal (has a great twist ending, though). But thanks to the direction and the good performances in each and every role, "Wicked" is a taut, gripping and occasionally steamy little thriller. Worth a look for anyone with even a passing interest in the genre. (**1/2)

Wicked is a extremely bizzare film, there is such a varied mix of ideas that it is very hard to keep track of the story, the ideas are good ones there's a bit of who dunnit, murder, intrigue, sex, deception, being physcotic, dealing with you dad getting a new girlfriend and much more but Wicked just cant seem to link them altogether to make a good strong cohirent plot. The main story is after a women has a huge row with her daughter she is murdered in a very brutal manner, the police are trying to track down the killer but are having very little luck. All the way through the film the tension is very high and the atmosphere is very good, there a immense who dunnit as the writers throw in suspects left, right and centre. There is also a very intriguing plot twist when the daughter becomes ever obsessed with her dad. The gorey scenes are also very brutal for a 15 certificate. Julia Stiles puts in a good performance as a character who through the course of the film you see slowly going over the edge, the rest of the cast are very good to its just a shame that the poor writing let them down. Most of the film is quite good, going along at a good pace and adding more and more plot twists, but the ending is just the most ludicrous thing I have ever seen, you never really find out who killed the mum and its just a excuse for the to be a total blood bath, where people get there heads smashed in, their feet cut and a hole blasted through their heart.

Bad writing, bad music. Awful plot. Father kissing his daughter, next scene they wake up together. Had to fast forward through most of it. These other reviewers are joking or high as a kite. Beware if you are going to rent this or watch for free. Not sure if the actors really needed the money or if this was one of those movies they did for a favor for their uncle. As the movie wears on, the plot and acting actually get worse. Didn't think it was possible. Who is the murderer? Who is the horny daughter? No one will care. You'll be glad when it's over or when you click off and leave a one star review. Spare yourself and skip it actually.

Two hours I will never get back. Why do I do this to myself? Always waiting for it to get better. I need ambian.Do I really have to write 10 lines of text to explain how bad this movie was? I'ts not so much the perverse nature of the film, or the bad acting, or the lame plot. I hate it when a movie doesn't give you any finality. I also don't know what it is that everyone like about Ellie Christianson either. I understand that she is very pretty to look at, but that doesn't sustain you through this movie or any of the others I have seen her in. She is too flat and I lose interest in her quickly. The other reviews that praise her have to be men. I can't imagine anyone would truthfully believe she is a good actress.Also the editing left much to the imagination. Very choppy. I could not find one performance that made this movie worth watching.

I stumbled on this on cable, expecting very little -- and was I ever surprised! The young female lead was spectacular, and all the main actors did fine, fine work, even the youngest child. This film deserves a much wider audience.

My only explanation for the extremely low ratings is the subject matter. The shadow of incest is off-putting to a lot of people, and I suspect many viewers just cannot enjoy a film where the subject matter makes them very uncomfortable. This is not a wimpy film with the predictable moral messages, but a very gutsy, finely-crafted piece of work that keeps you on the edge straight through.

This is a refreshingly different and exciting film that is miles beyond the usual Hollywood rot, and it manages to convey a steamy, dangerous eroticism without nudity or simulated-sex scenes. It takes a real director and some real actors to pull this off. And they didn't have to resort to car chases or gunfights, either.

Julia Stiles plays the troubled teenage daughter of an unhappily married couple who lives with her little sister in a well-to-do gated community.

Both mother and father play around, daddy with a housekeeper and mommy with a grungy looking neighbor.

One sunny morning, mom is beaten to death and Michael Parks is the lead detective in the case. I remember him from a TV series from 1969-1970 called Then Came Bronson.

Stiles becomes a substitute wife for her grieving father and it leads to some cringe worthy moments.

I was captivated for the first three quarters of the film but the ending made no sense whatsoever.

Stiles has gone on to showcase her talents and the Showtime series Dexter was one of her better roles. She makes Wicked worth a viewing.