In the mid 1990s, Meryl Streep fancied being an action heroine and the result was The River Wild.

Streep plays Gail. Married to Tom (David Strathairn) who is always busy at work and misses their son's Roarke birthday. Gail goes takes her son and the family dog to a white water rafting trip, something she excelled in when she was younger where she was a river guide and would take on the wild rapids.

On the trip she meets Wade (Kevin Bacon) and Terry (John C. Reilly) two inexperienced rafters. at the river. Wade has a slimy charm about him, he flirts with Gail and befriends Roarke. However soon Tom joins the party as a surprise.

Wade and Terry lose their guide and then force Gail to help them at gunpoint.

Curtis Hanson directs an efficient thriller. I do recall this being entertaining when I saw it in the cinema but years later viewing it again it did not seem so good and held little surprises. Maybe because Hanson went on to better things in LA Confidential. Also the sight of Gail and Wade flirting was a bit ughh!

Bacon enjoys himself playing the villain. Strathairn has the boring husband role who has to rescue his family. Streep gives her all with the action scenes but never convinces.