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History
Mystery thriller
Basic Instinct (1992): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch
Basic Instinct is a 1992 mystery thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven, starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone. It runs 2 hours 7 minutes and earned $352.9 million worldwide on a $49 million budget. It was nominated for 2 Oscars. Critics gave it 6% on Rotten Tomatoes and 43 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10. Stream it on fuboTV and Kanopy, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 7m (127 min)
- Director
- Paul Verhoeven
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- TriStar Pictures
- Budget
- $49M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is Basic Instinct About?
The premise of Basic Instinct without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Following the brutal murder of her lover, novelist Catherine Tramell becomes the prime suspect, drawing the attention of police detective Nick Curran. As her psychiatrist, Michael Glass, attempts to analyze her, he finds himself drawn into a complex and dangerous game. Catherine’s provocative nature and carefully constructed facade challenge everyone around her, blurring the lines between truth and illusion and raising questions about her guilt.
Basic Instinct Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- erotic thriller
- nudity
- female nudity
- manipulation
- female psychopath
- psychopathic killer
- no panties
- sex scene
- mind game
- bisexual woman
- crotch shot
- lesbianism
+38 more Show fewer
- neo noir
- sexual attraction
- narcissistic personality disorder
- dying during sex
- femme fatale
- pubic hair
- surprise ending
- murder
- murdered during sex
- lust
- serial killer
- antisocial personality disorder
- male rear nudity
- police
- ice pick
- sex in bed
- apartment
- obsession
- novel
- author
- book
- dancing
- novelist
- detective
- shooting
- love triangle
- police detective
- murder investigation
- mysterious death
- bisexuality
- borderline personality disorder
- sexual desire
- loss of loved one
- seductive woman
- male full frontal nudity
- violence
- male nudity
- shot in the head
Where to watch
Where to Watch Basic Instinct
Stream it on fuboTV and Kanopy, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Stream 7
Streaming availability in the US, powered by 
Cast & crew
Basic Instinct Cast
Michael Douglas leads the cast, with Sharon Stone. Directed by Paul Verhoeven.
-
Director Paul Verhoeven
Ratings
Basic Instinct Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Basic Instinct 6% on Rotten Tomatoes and 43 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.
-
IMDb 7.1 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 6% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 27%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 43 Metascore
User score 7.0
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 69% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
Basic Instinct Plot Summary
What happens in Basic Instinct from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
When rock star Johnny Boz is gruesomely attacked and murdered by a mysterious blonde woman with an ice pick during a passionate encounter, homicide detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) is assigned to unravel the mystery. The prime suspect emerges as Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), a seductive crime novelist who was the last person seen with Boz before his untimely death. Nick, along with his partner Gus Moran, pays a visit to her lavish mansion in Pacific Heights, only to find it occupied by Roxy, Catherine’s girlfriend, who sends them on a wild goose chase to Catherine’s beach house.
Full summary
The whole story of Basic Instinct, scene by scene
Box office
Basic Instinct Box Office & Budget
Basic Instinct grossed $352.9 million worldwide on a $49 million budget, 7.2 times what it cost. $117.7 million came from the US and Canada and $235.2 million (67%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$352.9M
7.2× its budget
- US & Canada
- $117.7M
- International
- $235.2M
- Budget
- $49M
US & Canada 33%
Rest of the world 67%
Awards
Basic Instinct Awards & Nominations
Basic Instinct was nominated for 2 Oscars. The 6 nominations come from 3 ceremonies.
6 nominations3 ceremonies
-
Saturn Awards 1993 2 nominations- Nominated Best Actress
- Nominated Best Writing
-
Golden Globes 1993 2 nominations- Nominated Best Original Score
- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actress) – Sharon Stone
-
Oscars 1993 2 nominations- Nominated Film Editing
- Nominated Music (Original Score)
Videos
Basic Instinct Trailers & Videos
12 videos: 5 trailers and 7 clips.
- Trailer Official 4K Restoration Trailer
- Trailer BASIC INSTINCT | Official Trailer - Starring Sharon Stone | STUDIOCANAL International
- Trailer BASIC INSTINCT Rerelease Trailer [1992]
- Trailer Basic Instinct Theatrical Trailer (1992) [4K] [FTD-1070]
Quiz
How Well Do You Know Basic Instinct?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What tool does the murderer use in the crime committed against Johnny Boz?
Cars
Cars in Basic Instinct
56 cars on screen, including the 1991 Ford Mustang and the 1991 Lotus Esprit SE Type 85.
-
1991 Ford Mustang Main role -
1991 Lotus Esprit SE Type 85 Main role -
1980 Cadillac Seville Important role -
1986 Dodge Diplomat Important role
Details
Basic Instinct Also Known As
34 alternative titles, including “Prvinski nagon” and “Sirove strasti”.
- Also known as
-
- Prvinski nagon
- Sirove strasti
- Basic Instinct – vaiston varassa
- Pamatinstinkts
- 本能
- Elemi ösztön
- Основной инстинкт
- Instinto básico
- Temel İçgüdü
- Instinto Fatal
- Nagi instynkt
- Basic Instinct - iskallt begär
+22 more Show fewer
- Základní instinkt
- Ниске страсти
- Βασικό Ένστικτο
- אינסטינקט בסיסי
- Основний інстинкт
- Instinct primar
- Iskoldt begær
- 원초적 본능
- Instinto Selvagem
- Първичен инстинкт
- Basic Instinct - vaiston varassa
- Bajos Instintos
- Základný inštinkt
- Esminis instinktas
- 第六感追緝令
- 氷の微笑
- Ógnareðli
- غریزه اصلی
- Bản Năng Gốc, ძირითადი ინსტინქტი
- Instint bàsic
- เจ็บธรรมดา ที่ไม่ธรรมดา
- खतरनाक चाहत
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Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Basic Instinct 2, Animal Instincts and Instinct.
From the blog
Articles About Basic Instinct
Our article about Basic Instinct: “The Evolution of Film Censorship Through the Decades”.
FAQ
Basic Instinct FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings and awards of Basic Instinct, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Basic Instinct?
Basic Instinct runs 2 hours 7 minutes (127 minutes).
When was Basic Instinct released?
Basic Instinct was released on March 20, 1992.
Who directed Basic Instinct?
Basic Instinct was directed by Paul Verhoeven.
More films by Paul Verhoeven Who is in the cast of Basic Instinct?
Basic Instinct stars Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone.
Where can I watch Basic Instinct?
In the US, Basic Instinct is streaming on fuboTV, Kanopy and MGM Plus and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
How much did Basic Instinct make at the box office?
Basic Instinct grossed $352.9 million worldwide ($117.7 million domestic, $235.2 million international) on a budget of $49 million.
How is Basic Instinct rated?
Basic Instinct has 7.1/10 on IMDb, 6% on Rotten Tomatoes, 43 on Metacritic and 69% on TMDB.
Was Basic Instinct nominated for any awards?
Basic Instinct received 6 nominations across 3 ceremonies.
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