Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct is a 1992 neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. The film follows San Francisco police detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), who is investigating the brutal murder of a wealthy rock star. During the investigation, Curran becomes involved in a torrid and intense relationship with the prime suspect, Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), an enigmatic writer.
Plot
In San Francisco, homicide detective Nick Curran investigates the murder of retired rock star Johnny Boz, who has been stabbed to death with an ice pick during sex with a mysterious blonde woman. Nick's only suspect is Boz's girlfriend, crime novelist Catherine Tramell, who has written a novel that mirrors the crime. It is concluded that either Catherine is the murderer or someone is attempting to frame her. Catherine is uncooperative and taunting during the investigation, smoking and exposing herself during her interrogation. She passes a lie detector test and is released. Nick discovers Catherine has a history of befriending murderers, including her girlfriend Roxy, who impulsively killed her two younger brothers when she was 16 years of age, and Hazel Dobkins, who killed her husband and children for no apparent reason.
Cast
- Anne Lockhart
- Benjamin Mouton
- Bruce A. Young
- Chelcie Ross
- Daniel von Bargen
- David Wells
- Denis Arndt
- Dorothy Malone
- Freda Foh Shen
- George Dzundza
- Jack McGee
- James Rebhorn
- Jeanne Tripplehorn
- Leilani Sarelle
- Mary Pat Gleason
- Michael Douglas
- Mitch Pileggi
- Peter Appel
- Sharon Stone
- Stephen Tobolowsky
- Wayne Knight
More details
| author | Joe Eszterhas |
|---|---|
| contentLocation | San Francisco |
| director | Paul Verhoeven |
| editor | Frank J. Urioste |
| genre | crime mystery thriller |
| keywords | build car crash college professor college roommate crime novelist fall homicide detective internal affairs kill murder newspaper clipping obsess office building police psychologist prime suspect retire rock star smoke stabbed to death taunt unsolved |
| musicBy | Jerry Goldsmith |
| nomination | Academy Award for Best Film Editing Academy Award for Best Original Score |
| producer | Alan Marshall Mario Kassar |
| productionCompany | Carolco Pictures Le Studio Canal+ |
| publisher | Guild Film Distribution TriStar Pictures UGC Distribution |
| recordedAt | San Francisco |
| theme | erotic thriller feminist lgbt-related mystery thriller neo-noir psychological thriller rape sexuality |