Basic Instinct

"A brutal murder. A brilliant killer. A cop who can't resist the danger."

1992 2h 8m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

🥫

56%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

7.1

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 4,564🥫56%Rotten Tomatoes●43Metacritic★7.1IMDB · 241,317

ThrillerMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Catherine, a novelist with an insatiable sexual appetite, becomes a prime suspect when her boyfriend is brutally murdered -- a crime she had described in her latest story.

“A brutal murder. A brilliant killer. A cop who can't resist the danger.”

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Cast

Michael Douglas
Detective Nick Curran
Sharon Stone
Catherine Tramell
George Dzundza
Gus
Jeanne Tripplehorn
Dr. Beth Garner
Denis Arndt
Lieutenant Walker
Leilani Sarelle
Roxy
Bruce A. Young
Andrews
Chelcie Ross
Captain Talcott

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Paul Verhoeven
Writers: Joe Eszterhas, Tracey Wilson
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, France

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

Made its money back 7.2× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, France.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Basic Instinct Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Paul Verhoeven, shot by Jan de Bont. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Frank J. Urioste shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone and George Dzundza carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Paul Verhoeven directs. Jan de Bont behind the camera. Jerry Goldsmith scores. Frank J. Urioste cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America, France. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 7.2× over at the box office.
234 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 2 countries: United States of America, France.
4Part of the "Basic Instinct Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Paul Verhoeven, shot by Jan de Bont. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Jerry Goldsmith. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Frank J. Urioste shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone and George Dzundza carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "A brutal murder. A brilliant killer. A cop who can't resist the danger.".
10IMDB entry: tt0103772 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 24 themes, including "dying and death", "california", "jealousy", "sexual obsession".

The technical file

Cinematography: Jan de Bont
Original score: Jerry Goldsmith
Editing: Frank J. Urioste
Production design: Terence Marsh
Costume design: Ellen Mirojnick
Makeup / hair: Rob Bottin
Sound: Carlos Delarios
Stunt coordinator: M. James Arnett
Runtime: 128 min · 2h 8m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $49,000,000
Box office: $352,927,224
Return: 720% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Basic Instinct (1992)
Rotten Tomatoes: 56% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 43/100
IMDB rating: 7.1/10 · 241,317 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

Nominated for 2 Oscars. 6 wins & 23 nominations total

Part of

Basic Instinct Collection

Two movies following the manipulative and seductive novelist Catherine Tramell.

Also by

Paul Verhoeven

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

talisencrw2016-01-15
★ 9/10
Controversy aside, in regards both to Sharon Stone's quintessentially-provocative noirish femme fatale (talk about a queen bee or alpha female!) and the backlash that the film portrayed lesbians as crazed psychos, Verhoeven both played a striking tribute to Sir Alfred Hitchcock, particularly San Francisco's based Vertigo and in use of the blonde bombshell, and simply continued his style of storytelling that had become his trademark in his pre-Hollywood, formative days in the Netherlands. Though it's not mentioned in the interviews of either star or director, the wonderful car chase brought to mind that 'other' car chase Frisco Bay movie, 'Bullitt'. But given the remarkable landscape of the area, why not? One would be a fool not to push the stylistic envelope as far as the censors will allow. A film that would have made The Master of Suspense proud, methinks, and one that he himself perhaps would have done, had Joe Eszterhas' very fun script been around, during, say, the time of 'Frenzy', when Hitchcock was at his cheekiest. A fantastic date movie too, by the way...
John Chard2019-01-02
★ 7/10
I'd have to be pretty stupid to write a book about killing and then kill him the way I described in my book. I'd be announcing myself as the killer. I'm not stupid. Basic Instinct is directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhaz. It stars Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Denis Arndt and Leilani Sarelle. Music is scored by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography by Jan de Bont. Nick Curran (Douglas) of the SFPD is strung out and under investigation by Internal Affairs, last thing he needs is to be drawn into a dangerous relationship with a sex crazed blonde who may be a murderess... Time hasn't been kind to Verhoeven's soft-core porn thriller, where once was shock and awe killings (the film opening with a brutal mini ice-pick murder), steamy love scenes and a famed and controversial crotch shot, now is ludicrous orgasms, iffy effects and Michael Douglas' unappetising ass! Hell there was even protests during the film's initial theatre run as the gay community went up in arms about the portrayal of bisexuals possibly being mad murderers? Yet for all of its taming over the years, Basic Instinct can at least now been seen as the hugely efficient mystery thriller that it is, one that is propelled by some very good performances by the principal actors. The strength in the story is not in the sex or blood, but in the character arcs of Nick Curran and Catherine Tramell (Stone). Curran is a man perched on the edge of doom who is controlled totally by the women around him. He is by definition a quintessential film noir protagonist, in so deep he ultimately will be resigned to his fate. Catharine Tramell is a ultimate femme fatale, beautiful and seductive, she's always in control, leading all male characters where she wants them to go. There's a delicious kink to the narrative, with Verhoeven gleefully pulling the strings, a smirk no doubt etched onto his face. This is very good story telling, with a plot of substantial twists and turns. True, it does carry some soft-core baggage that can steer the restless away from the character strengths within, but for the neo-noir crowd there is much to enjoy here. 7.5/10