Skip to content
MovieCove
World Gone Wild

World Gone Wild

Fifty years after the end of the world, the only ones left are nuked out, zoned-out burnouts. The wildest adventure of all is about to begin.

198795 minRMidcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Director
Lee H. Katzin
Starring
Bruce Dern, Michael Paré, Catherine Mary Stewart, Adam Ant

In the nuclear ravaged wasteland of Earth 2087 water is as precious as life itself. The isolated Lost Wells outpost survived the holocaust and the inhabitants guard the source of their existence. Now an evil cult of renegades want control of their valuable water supply. And the villagers are no match for such brute military force. Only one man can help the stricken community - a mercenary living in a distance cannibal city. But even he, and his strange henchmen, may not be able to survive in the world gone wild.

Where to watch

Where can I watch World Gone Wild?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list World Gone Wild on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about World Gone Wild?

World Gone Wild earns 2 badges, led by Fun and Award Nominee.

  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is World Gone Wild worth watching?

World Gone Wild's Midcredits score is the 20th percentile of all films, from 2.1K ratings across 4 sources. 26% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

20th percentile

Better received than 20% of films

33rd percentile among Action21st percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)26th
Approval (how many liked it)17th

54 /100

26th percentile of all films

41st percentile among Action26th percentile among 1980s

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

26% liked it

17th percentile of all films

28th percentile among Action18th percentile among 1980s
26% rated it 7–1074% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

61st percentile

2.1K ratings across platforms

46th percentile among Action56th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 33% in 30 days

Box office

Domestic gross$324K
Worldwide gross$324K

26th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a derivative, low-budget Mad Max clone with a fun but uneven cast.

Fans praised

  • entertaining B-movie cheese with fun weirdness
  • strong cast of offbeat actors (Bruce Dern, Adam Ant, Michael Pare)
  • fun action sequences and amusing one-liners

Detractors panned

  • cheap Mad Max rip-off with a derivative plot
  • clunky script, illogical decisions, and incoherent world-building
  • low-budget production with poor special effects and stunts

What stands out

Acting55

Bruce Dern and Adam Ant praised as entertaining; overall cast called uneven

HumorDivisive50

bizarre humor lands for fans; detractors find it unintentionally funny

CharactersDivisive45

two-dimensional characters making idiotic decisions; some find them memorable

PacingDivisive45

action sequences stop abruptly; never boring for fans

Dialogue40

ham-fisted and clunky; occasional amusing one-liners

Effects and spectacle35

pyrotechnics praised; cheap visual effects overall

Plot and storyDivisive30

derivative Seven Samurai / Magnificent Seven copy with logic holes

Originality20

derivative Mad Max clone with little fresh vision

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 9 points apart

Watch experience

What is World Gone Wild like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Easy laugh: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something that makes you laugh and does not take itself seriously.

It leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Very little.

What it feels like

Easy laugh.

Moods
AbsurdTense
Heaviest: late
Absurdist humor: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Register
Campy · 4% of filmsAbsurdist · 7% of films: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its post-apocalyptic scenario with a campy, self-aware absurdity, never taking itself too seriously.
The rideThe film oscillates between absurdist camp and tense action, with the heaviest stretch being the climactic battle.
StructureThe story follows a conventional three-act arc from peaceful village life through crisis, recruitment of help, and climactic battle.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

FunFeel-good
Why it leaves you this wayViewers are likely to leave entertained by the absurdity and action, with a light, guilty-pleasure feeling.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterInvasion
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% (this title) · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Invasion: An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe film follows the classic Seven Samurai structure: a peaceful village threatened by an invading cult hires a mercenary to assemble a team for defense.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% (this title) · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalCommunity · 14% of films: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the lengths a community will go to protect its vital water supply and its very existence against ruthless outsiders.
StanceThe film neutrally presents a community's struggle for survival in a post-apocalyptic world, leaning into genre conventions without strong critique.

The world

Near futureWildernessSmall townScience fiction
RockForeground music · original score · Laurence Juber
SettingPost-nuclear wasteland in the American Southwest, year 2087
MusicIncludes hard rock guitar riffs typical of 80s post-apocalyptic films.

Content guide

Is World Gone Wild okay for kids?

R

World Gone Wild is rated R. As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (67/100), sexual content at moderate (40/100), language at moderate (44/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at moderate (56/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • Germany18
  • France12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
too few votes to rank (3 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (18 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does World Gone Wild have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in World Gone Wild?

Cast

Bruce Dern
as Ethan
Michael Paré
as George Landon
Catherine Mary Stewart
as Angie
Adam Ant
as Derek Abernathy
Anthony James
as Ten Watt
Rick Podell
as Exline
Julius Carry
as Nitro
Alan Autry
as Hank
Peppi Sanders
as Mina
Henry Kendrick
as Leland

Crew

Directed by

Lee H. Katzin

Written by

Jorge Zamacona

Cinematography

Don Burgess

Edited by

Gary Griffin

Music by

Laurence Juber

Produced by

Robert L. RosenDonald C. Klune

More like this

What are movies like World Gone Wild?

Movies like World Gone Wild include The Last Battle (1983), Night of the Comet (1984) and Singularity (2017). Of the 6 closest matches, most are dystopian films, and two are invasion stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

4 of these 6 share its world: post-apocalyptic. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with World Gone Wild?

162 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: mercenary. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.