Instinct

"Nothing is more savage than civilization."

1999 2h 4m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

🥫

27%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.5

IMDB

★6.5TMDB · 684🥫27%Rotten Tomatoes●43Metacritic★6.5IMDB · 35,350

DramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In a prison for the criminally insane, deranged anthropologist Ethan Powell is set to be examined by a bright young psychiatrist, Theo Caulder. Driven by ambition and a hunger for the truth, Caulder will eventually risk everything—even put his very life on the line—in a harrowing attempt to understand the bizarre actions of this madman.

“Nothing is more savage than civilization.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Anthony Hopkins
Dr. Ethan Powell
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Dr. Theo Caulder
Donald Sutherland
Ben Hillard
Maura Tierney
Lynn Powell
George Dzundza
Dr. John Murray
John Ashton
Guard Dacks
John Aylward
Warden Keefer
Doug Spinuzza
Nicko

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jon Turteltaub
Writers: Gerald Di Pego
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $80M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 43% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jon Turteltaub, shot by Philippe Rousselot. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Danny Elfman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Richard Francis-Bruce shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding Jr. and Donald Sutherland carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Nothing is more savage than civilization.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jon Turteltaub directs. Philippe Rousselot behind the camera. Danny Elfman scores. Richard Francis-Bruce cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $80M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Earned back only 43% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
327 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Jon Turteltaub, shot by Philippe Rousselot. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Danny Elfman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Richard Francis-Bruce shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding Jr. and Donald Sutherland carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Nothing is more savage than civilization.".
9IMDB entry: tt0128278 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 13 themes, including "prison", "research", "gorilla", "instinct".

The technical file

Cinematography: Philippe Rousselot
Original score: Danny Elfman
Editing: Richard Francis-Bruce
Production design: Garreth Stover
Costume design: Jill M. Ohanneson
Makeup / hair: John M. Elliott Jr.
Sound: Jon Title
Stunt coordinator: Jim Vickers
Runtime: 124 min · 2h 4m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $80,000,000
Box office: $34,105,207
Return: 43% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Instinct (1999)
Rotten Tomatoes: 27% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 43/100
IMDB rating: 6.5/10 · 35,350 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

1 win & 2 nominations total

Genesis Award

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Jon Turteltaub

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Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2018-09-07
★ 9/10
How free are you really? Are you a liberator or a controller? What is the main purpose of a movie? To entertain and amuse in one way or another, right? In other words, captivate your attention for the span of the movie's runtime. Great movies do this PLUS something else: They inspire you and make you think; maybe even enlighten. That's the power of the art of film. "Instinct" (1999) does this, which explains my high rating. THE PLOT: Anthropologist Ethan Powell (Anthony Hopkins) goes missing in Africa for a couple of years; when he is found living with gorillas in the wild he kills a couple of rangers and injures others. After a year in prison in Africa, where he refuses to speak, he is extradited to a Florida prison and put in the mental ward. A young psychiatrist, Theo Caulder (Cuba Gooding Jr.), is assigned his case to see if he can get him to speak and learn what really happened in Africa. Meanwhile Powell's daughter (Maura Tierney) anticipates reconciling with her father; IF Theo can get through to him. There are some peripheral characters (Donald Sutherland), but that's the gist of the story. Some people criticize the film as a mix of "Gorillas in the Mist" and "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" with a little “The Silence of the Lambs” thrown in for good measure, but this only valid on a surface level. "Instinct" stands on its own; in fact, it's quite unique, which is a sign of greatness. The movie stands or falls on Hopkins and Cuba Jr. making their characters and their story come alive and seem real to the viewer. They succeeded for my wife and me. Within 20-30 minutes we found ourselves absorbed into the story and the characters; the film really picks up steam around the midpoint. Some people, like Roger Ebert, criticize that the film tackles too many topics or messages, but I never got this impression, nor did my wife. There are the main themes: the limitations of freedom in conventional modern society and the abuse of controllers (or "takers"); and there are a few subthemes, like the flaws of our prisons and mental institutions, as well as getting into the mind of someone else to understand their point of view (including non-humans). All of these are linked. The film never confused us or gave the impression that it cut off more than it could chew. If you appreciate films like "Grand Canyon" (1991) and "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) you'll probably value "Instinct." Some criticize one aspect of the climax, but it happens. There are documented examples in the USA and all over the world. Also, keep in mind that Powell was imprisoned in the mental ward of the prison, not the maximum security area. Is the story contrived to some degree? Of course it is; all movies are. Filmmakers have to tell a story and make their points within a limited timeframe, usually around two hours, and so there are always contrived elements, coincidences, etc. The trick is to pull it off without seeming too phony or forced, which is sometimes hard to do and it takes good actors. Thankfully, "Instinct" does a respectable job on this front, perhaps mainly because it has a few great actors, although some viewers may roll their eyes here or there. Regardless, it's in the area of ideas that "Instinct" towers above most movies. BOTTOM LINE: "Instinct" is a psychological drama/thriller that entertains but also makes you reflect and ponder: How free are we REALLY in society? Are you a giver or a taker? A blesser or an abuser? A liberator or a controller? How can you be freer? How can you escape the manipulations and shackles of others, of society, of "government"? How can you walk free of "the game"? And so much more, like the "doctor" learning from the patient and the humility it takes to learn from someone who's "under" you. The film runs 126 minutes and was shot in central Florida, Uganda and Jamaica. GRADE: A

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