Basic Instinct

55%

Tomatometer

78 Reviews

64%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

The mysterious Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), a beautiful crime novelist, becomes a suspect when she is linked to the brutal death of a rock star. Investigated by homicide detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), Catherine seduces him into an intense relationship. Meanwhile, the murder case becomes increasingly complicated when more seemingly connected deaths occur and Nick's psychologist and lover, Beth Garner (Jeanne Tripplehorn), appears to be another suspect.

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Critics Consensus

Unevenly echoing the work of Alfred Hitchcock, Basic Instinct contains a star-making performance from Sharon Stone but is ultimately undone by its problematic, overly lurid plot.

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Critics Reviews

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

...earns its status as what Nick deems "the f*ck of the century", or at least what Catherine grudgingly concedes to be "a pretty good beginning", in radicalising the sexual politics of a subgenre more often associated with male privilege.

Jun 14, 2021

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Carrie Nelson

Bitch Media

Basic Instinct depicts queerness in the most sinister ways imaginable.

Jan 12, 2021

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Senses of Cinema

With her high octane gyno-power at full throttle, [Sharon Stone] ... commands our attention now as much as she did on the film's initial release, defiantly holding our gaze if we dare even for a moment let our eyes drift towards anything else.

Aug 27, 2018

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

An erotic thriller that initially hooks me with Sharon Stone's stellar performance as the dangerous and sensual femme fatale, but that, unfortunately, loses all its police intrigue with a gimmicky plot of sex, lies and murder. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 5/10

Jun 6, 2024

Full Review

Terry Francis

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

Basic Instinct is the work of fundamentally immature sensibilities. It uses women and differences in affectional preference as fodder for its misogynist, peek-a-boo mentality that views whatever it cannot understand as evil and threatening.

May 9, 2023

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Charles Rhodes

Our Own Community Press (Norfolk, VA)

A conglomeration of misogynistic nad homophobic images...

May 3, 2023

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Audience Reviews

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Don J Saw the new 4K remaster of Basic Instinct (2021) produced by Rialto Pictures and Studio Canal. The transfer was really good and clean and felt fresh for a movie that is almost 30 years old. I had not seen this movie in about 15 years, so seeing it on the big screen felt pretty fresh. Is Basic Instinct a great movie? No. But, I think it was a bold movie for it's time to take on some really explicit material including sexual and sadistic violence, which many producers didn't have the courage to take on before. The movie's main strength is the electrifying chemistry between Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/10/21 Full Review Ana P She should've killed him. Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 10/11/24 Full Review Fabrícia F Por ser um filme clássico para a maioria dos cinéfilos, a moral desse filme prova que a cobiça leva o homem a ruína. Envolvido numa experiência atípica, o protagonista (Michael Douglas) se deixa levar pela fraqueza de caráter ao se apaixonar por uma perigosa mulher (Sharon Stone) suspeita de assassinato. É uma tentação que ele poderia ter evitado se fosse mais esperto, pois a personagem de fato é uma homicida cruel e sanguinária que usa a tática da sedução como instrumento de manipulação para escapar da punição da lei. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/22/24 Full Review Sam E One of the best movies ever made. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/30/24 Full Review David F This is such a sleazy and smarmy update to the Film Noir formula of femmes fatale and urban decay that I couldn’t help but love it. It’s got thrilling and somewhat cliched plot about a detective trying to solve a sex murder in San Francisco, it’s got lots of great establishing shots of the Transamerica Pyramid and Golden Gate Bridge to constantly remind us where we are (plus a car chase up or down one of those crazy vertical San Francisco streets), and it’s got Sharon Stone in her prime. The way the film just embraces all these B-Movie goodies in a bear hug makes it endearing. It’s a popcorn film, wildly entertaining, adult and childish in equal amounts, and just really fine moviemaking all around. I love how it borrows the tone, music, and atmosphere of Vertigo with those long lingering following shots while mysterious music plays on the soundtrack and the waves of Northern California crash against the rocks. This is a film to be savoured. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/28/24 Full Review Aleksander S Basic Instict is a story filled with eroticism and passion. Although engaging, the plot has some gaps, which are hard to overlook. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/22/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Basic Instinct

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Cast & Crew

Paul Verhoeven Director Michael Douglas Det. Nick Curran, SFPD Homicide Sharon Stone Catherine Tramell George Dzundza Gus Moran Jeanne Tripplehorn Dr. Beth Garner Denis Arndt Lt. Philip Walker SFPD

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Basic Instinct

Basic Instinct: Official Clip - Bloody Murder in the Elevator