Richard Auty’s review published on Letterboxd:
The Wraith was something of a video shop holy grail from my childhood - one of those movies with awesome cover art that either I saw on the shelves or in one of those free magazines you used to get that listed new titles. I think my brother even had an A4 poster on his wall at one point.
Anyway, on any rational level, The Wraith is terrible but wow, it really is the most 80s thing I've ever seen and I enjoyed it soooo much.
A young Charlie Sheen plays a newcomer to a small town where the local youths are terrorized by a gang of petrolheads. A mysterious supercar, driven by a mysterious figure in black that's DEFINITELY NOT CHARLIE SHEEN arrives on the scene to race the gang members and kill them one by one. It makes absolutely no sense, I mean really no sense at all, and to be honest it's just a PG-13 teen romance/action flick with a bit of added nudity.
It's utterly rubbish but absolutely brilliant at the same time. Most of the budget appears to have gone on explosions and licensing 80s American rock for the soundtrack. It's got Randy Quaid as a tough cop. It's got a rollerskating/burger delivery sequence choreographed to Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love. it's got Nick Cassavetes, Sherilyn Fenn and Clint Howard (with massive hair). There's car chases, "wacky" supporting characters, enormous plot holes and much more.
Huge fun. And terrible. Highly recommended.
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