Basic Instinct

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Producer:

Alan Marshall, Mario Kassar

Release Date:

Mar 20, 1992

Runtime:

2hr 7m

Synopsis

A violent police detective investigates a brutal murder that might involve a manipulative and seductive novelist.

Cast

  • Michael Douglas
  • Sharon Stone
  • George Dzundza
  • Jeanne Tripplehorn
  • Denis Arndt
  • Leilani Sarelle
  • Bruce A. Young
  • Chelcie Ross
  • Dorothy Malone
  • Wayne Knight

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.6
515.4K
87.5K
105.6K
RATINGS 2.5K FANS
3.6
  • Aug 10, 2020

    if i get killed by sexy bisexual sharon stone that is on ME, do not prosecute her because she caught ME slipping

    4.9K Likes
    mia 🦇
    mia 🦇
    Jan 16, 2021

    this film portrays men as so dumb... I’ve never seen such realistic cinema!

    4.5K Likes
    jeanie
    jeanie
    Dec 13, 2017

    1) I can't believe that Michael Douglas' reign as a major star was so long. 2) I can't believe that Sharon Stone's reign as a major star was so short.

    3.9K Likes
    Griffin Newman
    Griffin Newman
  •
    Aug 29, 2021

    “I could fix her” - Michael Douglas in this movie

    3.7K Likes
    kayla
    kayla
    Jan 11, 2019

    catherine tramell walked so amy dunne could run

    2.8K Likes
    lauren
    lauren
    Dec 25, 2019

    bisexuals are the most dangerous people on the planet

    2.5K Likes
    comrade_yui
    comrade_yui
  •
    Dec 9, 2020

    the women in this movie are very attractive

    2.4K Likes
    Bailey🏹
    Bailey🏹
    Jan 27, 2018

    This movie works because: 1. Michael Douglas thinks Nick is the hero 2. Sharon Stone thinks Catherine is the villain 3. Paul Verhoeven knows they're both wrong

    1.7K Likes
    Brian
    Brian
    Apr 4, 2015

    "She's evil! She's brilliant!" Doctor Beth Garner on Catherine Trammel - note the order. In Vertigo, a man falls in love with the image of a woman and the woman dies as a direct result. In Basic Instinct, the image takes her revenge. This is a thriller about the seductive…

    1.7K Likes
    Joe
    Joe

Queue Community Reviews

90%
Community 3,603
❤️ LOVE
27%
👍 LIKE
63%
😐 MEH
8%
👎 DISLIKE
2%
Top Reviews
  • nic
    nic loved
    Basic Instinct

    So so so incredibly good wow. Could not take my eyes off the screen, this movie had me captivated. Hands down one of the best murder mysteries I’ve seen, if not the best.

    3 🔥 1 3Y
    Sabrina Bondi
    Sabrina Bondi liked
    Basic Instinct

    Controversial and offensive. Enthralling and sexy. Featuring a star turn from Stone and no shortage of male character actors, Verhoeven and Eszterhas have crafted a sublime queer Erotic Thriller that doesn't play it safe or seek to appease audiences.

    🔥 2 4Y
    Tita
    Tita liked
    Basic Instinct

    Man are so stupid its crazy… i’m taking this as fantasised female rage 🤺 it’s offensive and problematic but actually good

    1 🔥 1 2Y
  • x
    x liked
    Basic Instinct

    was the sex that good for her to change her mind

    😭 1 1Y
    Strange Girl
    Strange Girl loved
    Basic Instinct

    Future goals honestly. Rich educated author with two houses. (1-16-25)

    🔥 1 1Y
    grace
    grace loved
    Basic Instinct

    SHE DID IT !!!

    😂 1 2Y
  • Mark Bateman
    Mark Bateman loved
    Basic Instinct

    9/10

    🔥 1 2Y
    Jake
    Jake liked
    Basic Instinct

    Why does Michael Douglas suck her nipples like he’s trying to make eye contact with you across the table and find his straw with his tongue at the same time? — Basic Instinct is an excellent erotic thriller that perfectly captures the feeling of 90s cinema. A mystery that unravels thoughtfully and…

    1M
    CvptvinHowdy
    CvptvinHowdy liked
    Basic Instinct

    I was always led to believe that this was pretty much a porno, and while it does have a lot of sex scenes, there's still a pretty decent mystery here. I was intrigued at first, but it kind of cooled down during the third act, and the reveal was okay. It just didn't blow me away. Bonus points for…

    2Y

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

43
metacritic
Based on 28 Critics
3.8

USER SCORE (457)

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 457 Reviews
75

Bad politics sometimes makes for good movies, and the harsh, politically incorrect truth about Basic Instinct is that it's a tantalizing, suspensefully correct thriller.

Metacritic review by Jay Boyar
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
50

Overpublicized and underbrained,Basic Instinct is a bitter disappointment, worth maybe a 10th of the hype that the media have so obligingly ladled out for its benefit.

Metacritic review by Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Baltimore Sun
50

Basic Instinct's characters lack psychology and therefore motive. Admittedly they possess pathology, but that's not enough to maintain suspense in a movie with plot holes big enough to drive a tank through.

Metacritic review by Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Basic Instinct (1992) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is Basic Instinct (1992)?
The movie is 2hr 7min long.
What's Basic Instinct (1992) about?
A violent police detective investigates a brutal murder that might involve a manipulative and seductive novelist.
Who's the cast of Basic Instinct (1992)?
  • Michael Douglas as Det. Nick Curran, SFPD Homicide
  • Sharon Stone as Catherine Tramell
  • George Dzundza as Gus Moran
  • Jeanne Tripplehorn as Dr. Beth Garner
  • Denis Arndt as Lt. Philip Walker SFPD
  • Leilani Sarelle as Roxy
  • Bruce A. Young as Andrews
  • Chelcie Ross as Capt. Talcott
  • Dorothy Malone as Hazel Dobkins, Catherine's Friend
  • Wayne Knight as John Correli
Who's the director behind Basic Instinct (1992)?
Paul Verhoeven directed Basic Instinct (1992).
Who produced Basic Instinct (1992)?
Alan Marshall and Mario Kassar produced Basic Instinct (1992).