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Basic Instinct
1992 128 min United States of America, France R 18+
★7.1
Thriller, Mystery
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Trailers
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Description
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.
Budget:
$49M
US Gross:
$117.73M
Worldwide:
$352.93M
Starring
Michael Douglas
Actor
Sharon Stone
Actor
George Dzundza
Actor
Awards
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1993
— Best Actress
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1993
— Most Desirable Woman
Razzie Awards 1993
— Worst Supporting Actress
Razzie Awards 1993
— Worst New Star
Razzie Awards 1993
— Worst Actor
Saturn Awards 1993
— Best Director
Cannes Film Festival 1992
— Palme d'Or
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1993
— Best Actress
Golden Globe 1993
— Best Original Score
Academy Awards 1993
— Best Film Editing
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1993
— Best Picture
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1993
— Most Desirable Woman
Saturn Awards 1993
— Best Horror Film
Saturn Awards 1993
— Best Actress
Saturn Awards 1993
— Best Original Score
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1993
— Best Actor
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1993
— Best On-Screen Duo
Academy Awards 1993
— Best Original Score
Key opinion
Basic Instinct is widely regarded as a definitive, high-tension erotic thriller that balances stylistic flair with a compelling mystery. While opinions on its thematic depth vary, it remains a landmark film defined by its atmosphere, Jerry Goldsmith's evocative score, and an iconic, career-defining performance by Sharon Stone.
| Acting | Sharon Stone delivers a magnetic, nuanced performance that perfectly embodies the dangerous and seductive femme fatale. | |
| Score | Jerry Goldsmith’s score masterfully manipulates the mood, effectively heightening the film's pervasive tension. | |
| Direction | Paul Verhoeven’s direction successfully blends eroticism with visceral, noir-inspired mystery to maintain constant audience engagement. | |
| Cinematography | Jan de Bont’s cinematography provides a bold, stylized visual palette that elevates the film's atmosphere. | |
| Originality | The film's explicit content is polarized: some viewers appreciate it as an integral, stylized component of the narrative, while others feel it borders on gratuitous or dated. | |
| Ending | The ambiguous ending is divisive, with some praising it as a brilliant tool for ongoing speculation and others finding it a source of narrative incompleteness. |