View source for Basic Instinct

{{short description|1992 film by Paul Verhoeven}}
{{About|the 1992 film|other uses|Basic Instinct (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Basic Instinct
| image          = Basic Instinct.png
| alt            =
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Paul Verhoeven]]
| writer         = [[Joe Eszterhas]]
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Alan Marshall (producer)|Alan Marshall]]
* [[Mario Kassar]]
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Michael Douglas]]
* [[Sharon Stone]]
* [[George Dzundza]]
* [[Jeanne Tripplehorn]]
* [[Wayne Knight]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Jan de Bont]]
| editing        = [[Frank J. Urioste]]
| music          = [[Jerry Goldsmith]]
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* [[Carolco Pictures]]
* [[Le Studio Canal+]]
}}
| distributor    = {{Plainlist|
* [[TriStar Pictures]] (United States)
* [[Guild Film Distribution]] (United Kingdom)
* [[UGC (cinema operator)|UGC Distribution]] (France)
}}
| released       = {{Film date|1992|03|18|Los Angeles|1992|03|20|United States|1992|05|08|France and United Kingdom}}
| runtime        = 128 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 128:02--><ref>{{cite web|title=''Basic Instinct'' (18)|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/basic-instinct-1970-1|publisher=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=March 18, 1992|access-date=April 19, 2013|archive-date=September 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919034630/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/basic-instinct-1970-1|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| country        = {{Plainlist|
* United States
* United Kingdom
* France
}}
| language       = English
| budget         = $49 million
| gross          = $353 million
}}
'''''Basic Instinct''''' is a 1992 [[erotic thriller]] film directed by [[Paul Verhoeven]] and written by [[Joe Eszterhas]]. It follows [[San Francisco]] detective Nick Curran ([[Michael Douglas]]) as he investigates the murder of a rock star, only to begin an intense relationship with the prime suspect [[Catherine Tramell]] ([[Sharon Stone]]).

The script was developed by Eszterhas in the 1980s and became the subject of a bidding war, which [[Carolco Pictures]] won before bringing Verhoeven on board to direct. Stone was cast as Tramell after the role was rejected by several other actresses, and production was plagued by protests and intense conflict between Eszterhas and Verhoeven.

''Basic Instinct'' premiered in Los Angeles on March 18, 1992, and was theatrically released in the United States by [[TriStar Pictures]] two days later.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url = https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59185-BASIC-INSTINCT?cxt=filmography|title = Basic Instinct|website = [[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|access-date = July 28, 2019|archive-date = June 9, 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190609021521/https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59185-BASIC-INSTINCT?cxt=filmography|url-status = live}}</ref> It received mixed reviews; praise was given to the performances, score, and editing, while the script and character development were criticized. The film also generated controversy due to its depiction of sexually explicit content, violence, and homosexual relationships.<ref name ="Linowski">{{cite journal | last1 = Leistedt | first1 = Samuel J. | last2 = Linkowski |first2 = Paul | title = Psychopathy and the Cinema: Fact or Fiction? | journal = Journal of Forensic Sciences | date = January 2014 | volume = 59 | issue = 1 | pages = 167–174 | doi = 10.1111/1556-4029.12359 | pmid=24329037| s2cid = 14413385 }}</ref><ref name="Fredricks">{{cite web|url=http://psychitect.com/blogfilm/archives.cfm/category/narcissistic-personality-disorder|title=Dr. Fredricks Cinema Therapy Blog - Narcissistic personality disorder|publisher=Dr. Randi Fredricks, PhD|access-date=April 18, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915022411/http://psychitect.com/blogfilm/archives.cfm/category/narcissistic-personality-disorder|archive-date=September 15, 2013}}</ref> Despite public protest, it was a commercial success, grossing $353 million worldwide on a $49 million budget<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0103772/ |title=Basic Instinct (1992) |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=April 14, 2024}}</ref> and becoming the [[1992 in film|fourth highest grossing film of 1992]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3997533697/|title=Basic Instinct (1992) - Box Office Mojo|website=Boxofficemojo.com|access-date=November 22, 2017|archive-date=July 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720003853/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/|url-status=live}}</ref> Due to its success and controversy, it inspired many imitators and has been labelled as "perhaps the quintessential erotic thriller of the 1990s".<ref>{{cite web |last=Raftery|first=Brian|date=March 17, 2022 |title=The Rise and Fall of the Erotic Thriller |website=[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]|url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2022/3/17/22981776/erotic-thriller-hollywood-history-basic-instinct}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hudson|first=David|date=March 27, 2023 |title=Erotic '90s |website=[[The Criterion Collection]]|url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8107-erotic-90s}}</ref>

Since its release, ''Basic Instinct'' has undergone a critical reevaluation. The film has been recognized for its groundbreaking depictions of sexuality in mainstream [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood cinema]], and was described by one scholar as "a neo-[[film noir]] masterpiece that plays with, and transgresses, the narrative rules of film noir".<ref>{{cite book|title=Feminist Film Studies: A Teacher's Guide|author=Murray, Terri|year=2008|publisher=Auteur}}</ref> Numerous versions have been released on home video, including a [[director's cut]] with extended footage previously unseen.<ref>{{Citation|title=Basic Instinct (1992) - IMDb|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103772/alternateversions|access-date=October 8, 2020|archive-date=April 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407040206/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103772/alternateversions|url-status=live}}</ref>

The film was followed by the sequel ''[[Basic Instinct 2]]'' (2006), which starred Stone but was made without the involvement of Verhoeven or Douglas. It received negative reviews and was relatively unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite web|title=Moviefone Top 25 Box Office Bombs of All Time|publisher=Moviefone.com | access-date=September 5, 2008 |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/basic-instinct-2| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723010419/http://www.moviefone.com/insidemovies/2007/11/15/biggest-box-office-bombs/ | archive-date=July 23, 2008 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/2/|title=Worst of the Worst 2009 - Dragonfly|publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|date=March 16, 2010|access-date=November 22, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316051550/http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/2/|archive-date=March 16, 2010}}</ref>

==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, the plot summary should be 400-700 words. -->
In [[San Francisco]], a blonde woman ties retired rock star Johnny Boz to a bed with a silk scarf during sex, then stabs him to death with an [[ice pick]]. [[San Francisco Police Department|SFPD]] Detective Nick Curran and his partner, Gus Moran, investigate the murder. The prime suspect is Boz's girlfriend, crime novelist [[Catherine Tramell]], whose latest novel mirrors the details of the killing.

Catherine is uncooperative with the investigators, taunting them by smoking during questioning and exposing herself. Though released for lack of evidence, she becomes a person of interest when Nick learns that she has a history of close relationships with violent individuals. These include her girlfriend Roxanne "Roxy" Hardy, who killed her younger brothers as a teenager, and Hazel Dobkins, a convicted family murderer.

Nick, a recovering alcoholic with a history of drug abuse and a prior incident in which he accidentally shot two tourists, attends mandatory counseling with police psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Garner, with whom he has an unstable romantic relationship. He discovers that Catherine is using him as the inspiration for a new character—a detective who is murdered after falling for the wrong woman. When Nick suspects that his confidential psychiatric file has been leaked, he assaults internal affairs lieutenant Marty Nilsen, who had access to the file. Nilsen is later found murdered, and Nick is placed on administrative leave.

At Boz's nightclub, Nick sees Catherine and Roxy using cocaine. Later, at Catherine's home, she ties Nick to the bed during sex while Roxy watches. Moran expresses concern about Nick's involvement with Catherine and uncovers that Nilsen received a $50,000 payment months before Nick met her.

Roxy, jealous of Nick, attempts to kill him in a car attack but dies in the ensuing crash. Catherine reveals that she had an intense relationship with a woman in college who became obsessed with her. Nick suspects the woman was Garner, who claims the obsession went the other way. Investigating further, Nick finds that Nilsen had withdrawn a complaint Catherine filed against Garner years earlier. He also uncovers that a professor shared by Garner and Catherine was killed with an ice pick in an unsolved case resembling Catherine's fiction, and that Garner's former husband was murdered in another unresolved case investigated by Nilsen.

Nick finds the draft of Catherine's new novel, which depicts a detective discovering his partner's body in an elevator. Catherine abruptly ends their relationship. Later, Moran tells Nick he has arranged to meet Catherine's former college roommate in [[Oakland, California|Oakland]] to learn more about her and Garner. When Nick arrives, he finds Moran stabbed to death with an ice pick in an elevator, mirroring the novel. Garner arrives shortly afterward, claiming she was lured there by a message. Believing she is reaching for a weapon, Nick shoots and kills her, but she is found to be unarmed.

Police find evidence in Garner's apartment implicating her in multiple murders, including files and photographs related to Catherine. Nick is left confused and emotionally shaken. Later, Catherine returns to Nick's apartment and they have sex. As they lie in bed discussing their future, an ice pick lies unseen beneath the bed.

==Cast==
{{castlist|
*[[Michael Douglas]] as [[SFPD]] Police Detective Nick Curran
*[[Sharon Stone]] as [[Catherine Tramell]]
*[[George Dzundza]] as Detective Gus Moran
*[[Jeanne Tripplehorn]] as Dr. Elizabeth Garner
*[[Denis Arndt]] as Lieutenant Phillip Walker
*[[Leilani Sarelle]] as Roxanne "Roxy" Hardy
*[[Bruce A. Young]] as Det. Sam Andrews
*[[Chelcie Ross]] as Captain Talcott
*[[Wayne Knight]] as District Attorney John Correli
*[[Daniel von Bargen]] as Lieutenant Marty Nilsen 
*[[Stephen Tobolowsky]] as Dr. Lamott 
*Benjamin Mouton as Harrigan
*[[Dorothy Malone]] as Hazel Dobkins
*[[Jack McGee (actor)|Jack McGee]] as Sheriff
*[[Bill Cable]] as Johnny Boz
*[[James Rebhorn]] as Dr. McElwaine
*[[Mitch Pileggi]] as Internal Affairs Investigator
}}

==Production==
The screenplay, which was written in the 1980s, sparked a bidding war until it was finally purchased by [[Carolco Pictures]] for US$3&nbsp;million.<ref name="nyt920315"/><ref name="UK Critic">{{cite web |url=https://www.ukcritic.com/basinretro.html |title=Retrospectives: BASIC INSTINCT |access-date=November 6, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113050951/http://www.ukcritic.com/basinretro.html |archive-date=November 13, 2007 }}</ref> Joe Eszterhas, who had previously been the creative force behind several blockbuster films such as ''[[Flashdance]]'' (1983) and ''[[Jagged Edge (film)|Jagged Edge]]'' (1985), managed to complete the script in just 13 days.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.moviemaker.com/joe-eszterhas-ten-golden-rules-of-moviemaking/|title=Wisdom Wednesday: Joe Eszterhas' 10 Golden Rules of Screenwriting by Joe Eszterhas|date=October 2, 2013|website=Moviemaker Magazine|access-date=November 22, 2017|archive-date=August 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803183204/https://www.moviemaker.com/joe-eszterhas-ten-golden-rules-of-moviemaking/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, Paul Verhoeven had suggested changes to the script that Eszterhas strongly disagreed with, including a lesbian sex scene that Eszterhas deemed "exploitative".<ref name=":0"/> With Verhoeven unwilling to budge, Eszterhas and producer Irwin Winkler left the production.

[[Gary Goldman (screenwriter)|Gary Goldman]] was subsequently brought on board to rewrite the script four times at Verhoeven's suggestion. However, by the fourth draft, Verhoeven himself acknowledged that his proposals were "undramatic" and "really stupid". By the fifth and final draft, the script had returned to Eszterhas' original vision, with only minor tweaks to visuals and dialogue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59185-BASIC-INSTINCT?cxt=filmography|title=AFI Catalog of Feature Films: Basic Instinct|website=catalog.afi.com|access-date=December 28, 2019|archive-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609021521/https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59185-BASIC-INSTINCT?cxt=filmography|url-status=live}}</ref> As a result, Eszterhas received sole writing credit for the film. In preparation for the car chase scene, Michael Douglas drove up the steps on [[Kearny Street]] in San Francisco for four nights by himself.

The home of Sharon Stone's character, prominently featured in the film, is said to be in [[Stinson Beach, California]], just north of San Francisco. The scenes were shot at a mansion near [[Carmel-by-the-Sea, California|Carmel-by-the-Sea]], about {{convert|120|mi}} south of San Francisco. The property had been previously owned by the late adventurer [[Steve Fossett]] and his wife until her death in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-04 |title=California Compound Where Basic Instinct Was Filmed Listed For $52.375 Million |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/california-compound-where-basic-instinct-was-filmed-on-the-market |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Architectural Digest |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2018, the residence was purchased by software engineer Gary Vickers, who combined it into an estate with four adjoining cottages he also owned; he put the entire property on sale the following year for $52.4 million.<ref name = Blake>{{Cite web |last=Blake |first=Lindsay |date=March 22, 2022 |title=Sharon Stone's 'Basic Instinct' House Gets Massive Price Slash |url=https://www.dirt.com/gallery/locations/filming-locations/basic-instinct-house-carmel-1203462895/ |website=Dirt}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chen |first=Joyce |date=June 4, 2019 |title=California Compound Where Basic Instinct Was Filmed Listed For $52.375 Million |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/california-compound-where-basic-instinct-was-filmed-on-the-market |website=Architectural Digest}}</ref> By 2022, the asking price had been lowered to $29.6 million.<ref name = Blake/>

===Casting===
After numerous actors turned down the lead role, Carolco worried they would not be able to cast a suitable male lead.<ref name="Winkler 2019">{{cite book |last=Winkler |first= Irwin |title=A Life in Movies: Stories from 50 years in Hollywood  |publisher=Abrams Press |year=2019 |page= |isbn=978-1419734526}}</ref> CAA's agent [[Ronald Meyer]] called Carolco and said that he knew the script had been turned down by actors; Meyer said [[Michael Douglas]] would agree to star in the film if Carolco could meet his salary requirement, and Carolco quickly agreed.<ref name="Winkler 2019"/> Douglas was cast in the project early on. He recommended [[Kim Basinger]] for the role of Catherine Tramell, but she declined.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amc.com/talk/2007/04/basic-instinct |title=Basic Instinct |publisher=AMC |access-date=June 6, 2020 |archive-date=March 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190302154016/https://www.amc.com/talk/2007/04/basic-instinct |url-status=dead }}</ref> He also suggested [[Julia Roberts]],<ref name=":1">{{cite web|last=Warren|first=Jane|title=Michael Douglas's real basic instinct|url=https://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/237377/Michael-Douglas-s-real-basic-instinct|work=Daily Express|access-date=December 27, 2013|date=March 29, 2011|archive-date=December 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228132132/http://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/237377/Michael-Douglas-s-real-basic-instinct|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Greta Scacchi]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/faces/greta_scacchi.shtml |title=BBC - Drama Faces - Greta Scacchi |access-date=August 9, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105030048/http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/faces/greta_scacchi.shtml |archive-date=January 5, 2009 }}</ref> and [[Meg Ryan]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2003/10/14/meg_ryan_in_the_cut_interview.shtml|title=BBC - Films - interview - Meg Ryan|website=Bbc.co.uk|access-date=November 22, 2017|archive-date=November 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191119004516/http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2003/10/14/meg_ryan_in_the_cut_interview.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> but they all turned down the role. [[Debra Winger]], [[Michelle Pfeiffer]], [[Geena Davis]], [[Kathleen Turner]], [[Kelly Lynch]], [[Ellen Barkin]], and [[Mariel Hemingway]] all turned down the role as well when offered by Verhoeven and producers.<ref name="nyt920315">{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/15/movies/film-basic-instinct-the-suspect-is-attractive-and-may-be-fatal.html | title='Basic Instinct': The Suspect Is Attractive, and May Be Fatal | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=March 15, 1992 | access-date=August 9, 2009 | quote=But the sexual content of the film helped determine the choice of its female star. Ms. Stone, who played Arnold Schwarzenegger's wife in 'Total Recall', was cast in 'Basic Instinct' only after better-known actresses like Michelle Pfeiffer, Kim Basinger, Geena Davis, Ellen Barkin and Mariel Hemingway rejected her part, largely because it demanded so much nudity and sexual simulation. | first=Bernard | last=Weinraub | archive-date=January 2, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102162952/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/15/movies/film-basic-instinct-the-suspect-is-attractive-and-may-be-fatal.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://people.com/movies/kelly-lynch-turned-down-basic-instinct/|title=Why Kelly Lynch Doesn't Regret Turning Down 'Basic Instinct'|newspaper=People }}</ref>

Verhoeven considered [[Demi Moore]],<ref>{{Cite news |author=Bryce Hallett |title=Her world's a stage |work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=February 10, 2001 |page=3}}</ref> but ultimately chose Sharon Stone, with whom he had previously worked on ''Total Recall''. Verhoeven had been particularly struck by the way she quickly transitioned from evil to love in a couple of seconds before her character's death in that film.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theringer.com/movies/2020/6/4/21278539/arnold-schwarzeneggers-mission-to-mars | title = Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mission to Mars | first = Alan | last = Siegel | date = June 4, 2020 | access-date = June 5, 2020 | work = [[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]] | archive-date = June 5, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200605170941/https://www.theringer.com/movies/2020/6/4/21278539/arnold-schwarzeneggers-mission-to-mars | url-status = live }}</ref> Stone wanted the role but they refused to send her the script, until her manager broke into the studio's office locker to give her the script.<ref>https://www.businessinsider.com/sharon-stone-best-movies-basic-instinct-casino-2025-7</ref> Verhoeven tested with Stone as Douglas first refused to test with her. Verhoeven kept playing her test after testing everyone else, and Douglas later agreed to test with Stone after 12 other actresses turned down the role.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/03/sharon-stone-on-how-basic-instinct-nearly-broke-her | title="You Can't Shame Me": Sharon Stone on How Basic Instinct Nearly Broke Her, Before Making Her a Star | website=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] | date=March 18, 2021 }}</ref> Michael Douglas was initially upset that the relatively unknown Stone was cast in the role, determined to have another A-list actress star in the movie with him. Worried about taking the risk on his own, he said, "I need someone to share the risks of this movie. [...] I don't want to be up there all by myself. There's going to be a lot of shit flying around."<ref name=":1"/> He later remarked that "we had a fabulous actress in Sharon. She was just perfect for the role".<ref>{{cite web|author=Holub, Christian|url=https://ew.com/movies/michael-douglas-basic-instinct-sex-scene-overwhelming-cannes-premiere/|title=Michael Douglas says Basic Instinct sex scene was 'overwhelming' at Cannes premiere|publisher=Entertainment Weekly|date=17 May 2023|accessdate=6 April 2024}}</ref> Stone also suspected that a heated argument between Douglas and herself at a Cannes Festival party sometime earlier was a contributing factor.<ref>[https://variety.com/2025/film/news/sharon-stone-michael-douglas-fight-basic-instinct-offer-1236477832/ https://variety.com/2025/film/news/sharon-stone-michael-douglas-fight-basic-instinct-offer-1236477832/]</ref> Ultimately, Stone was paid $500,000 for her role, while Douglas received $14 million.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sharon Stone reveals she was paid just $500,000 for Basic Instinct |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/world/sharon-stone-reveals-she-was-paid-just-500000-for-basic-instinct |access-date=June 18, 2023 |work=National Post |date=March 30, 2023}}</ref>

==Music==
===Soundtrack===
{{Music ratings|rev1=[[Filmtracks]]|rev1Score= {{Rating|4|5}} link}}

The [[film score|musical score]] for ''Basic Instinct'' was composed by [[Jerry Goldsmith]] and earned him nominations for an [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Academy Award]] and a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score|Golden Globe Award]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.filmtracks.com/titles/basic_instinct.html|title=Filmtracks: Basic Instinct (Jerry Goldsmith)|website=Filmtracks.com|access-date=November 22, 2017|archive-date=November 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122194439/http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/basic_instinct.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Goldsmith described the process as challenging, stating, "''Basic Instinct'' was probably the most difficult [score] I've ever done. It's a very convoluted story with very unorthodox characters. It's a murder mystery, but it isn't really a murder mystery. The director, Paul Verhoeven, had a very clear idea of how the woman should be, and I had a hard time getting it. Because of Paul pushing me, I think it's one of the best scores I've ever written. It was a true collaboration."<ref>Velez, Andy. [http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/interview.asp?CTR=7251 "Evening the Score" Jerry Goldsmith interview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430145435/http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/interview.asp?CTR=7251 |date=April 30, 2013 }}. [[Barnes & Noble]]. Retrieved June 6, 2011.</ref>

In terms of featured music, commercially released tracks played a minor role in the film. The club scene prominently features "Blue" by Chicago [[house music]] performer [[LaTour]] and "Rave the Rhythm" by the group Channel X, as well as "Movin' on Up" by [[Jeff Barry]] and [[Ja'Net DuBois]]. [[Chris Rea]]'s "[[Looking for the Summer]]" is heard during a scene between Douglas and his partner at Mac's Diner.

The film's official soundtrack was released on March 17, 1992. In 2004, Prometheus Records issued an expanded version of Goldsmith's score, which included previously omitted sections and alternative compositions for certain elements.

==Release==
===Theatrical===
[[File:Basic Instinct Cannes 1992.jpg|thumb|right|[[Jeanne Tripplehorn]], [[Michael Douglas]], Martine Tours (wife of Verhoeven), [[Paul Verhoeven]], [[Sharon Stone]] and [[Mario Kassar]] at the [[1992 Cannes Film Festival]]]]
The film opened in North American theatres in March 1992, and after being entered into the [[1992 Cannes Film Festival]]<ref name="CANNES">{{cite web |url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/f/basic-instinct/ |title=Basic Instinct |publisher=[[Cannes Film Festival]] |access-date=June 29, 2024}}</ref> continued on to a worldwide release.

===MPAA rating===
''Basic Instinct'' is rated R for "strong violence and sensuality, and for drug use and language". Initially, the film was given an [[NC-17]] rating by the [[MPAA]] for "graphic depictions of extremely explicit violence, sexual content and strong language". However, under pressure from TriStar and Carolco, Verhoeven cut 35 to 40 seconds from the film to achieve an R rating.<ref name="nyt920315"/> Verhoeven described the changes in a March 1992 article in ''[[The New York Times]]'':{{cquote|Actually, I didn't have to cut many things, but I replaced things from different angles, made it a little more elliptical, a bit less direct.<ref name="nyt920315"/>}}

===Home media===
The theatrical release of the film was cut by 35 to 40 seconds to avoid an NC-17 rating,<ref name="nyt920315"/> with some violence and sexually explicit content removed. The missing or censored material, later released on video and DVD as the director's cut, included:
*The murder of Johnny Boz in the opening scene. In the director's cut, the killer is seen stabbing him in his neck, in the chest and through his nose. In addition, the killer is still having violent sex with him while stabbing him at the same time.
*The scene where Nick rapes Beth is cut in the US theatrical version. He is seen ripping off her clothes and forcing her over the couch, before a cut to the two of them lying on the floor. In the uncut version, she verbally tells him to stop and says 'no' multiple times.
*The scene where Nick and Catherine have sex after going to the club is longer and much more explicit in the uncut version.

In 2021, [[StudioCanal UK|StudioCanal]] released a restored [[4K Ultra HD]] 'collector's edition' of the film on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download in the UK (June 14), Australia (July 7), and New Zealand (July 14). The restoration was supervised by the director and completed in 2019–2020, using the original 35MM negative. Additionally, a new documentary titled "Basic Instinct, Sex, Death & Stone" was added as a special feature.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/global/basic-instinct-restoration-studiocanal-release-1234956590/|title='Basic Instinct' Gets 4K Restoration by Studiocanal, Set for Theatrical, Home Entertainment Releases|date=April 21, 2021|website=Variety.com|accessdate=June 2, 2021}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Box office===
''Basic Instinct'' opened in theaters in the United States and Canada on March 20, 1992, and became one of the [[1992 in film|highest-grossing films of that year]]. It debuted at [[List of 1992 box office number-one films in the United States|number one at the US box office]], grossing $15&nbsp;million in its opening weekend. After briefly dropping down the charts, it returned to number one in its fifth week, where it remained for four weeks. In total, the film grossed $117.7 million in the United States and Canada. Internationally, it grossed $352,927,224,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Klady |first=Leonard |date=January 8, 1993 |title=Carolco's Instinct is global champ |magazine=[[Screen International]] |page=9}}</ref> making it the fourth-highest-grossing film released in 1992 worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |title=1992 Worldwide Grosses |work=[[Box Office Mojo]] |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1992/ |access-date=May 4, 2013 |archive-date=December 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216203422/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1992/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In Italy, it had a record opening of $5.44&nbsp;million and remained number one for four weeks,<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=29|date=September 28, 1992|title='Basic' boffo in Italo bow|last=Groves|first=Don}}</ref> ultimately grossing $20&nbsp;million and becoming the [[List of 1992 box office number-one films in Italy#Highest-grossing films|highest-grossing film for the year]].<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=January 29, 1993|page=18|title=Italian foreign top 10}}</ref> It was the highest-grossing film in Spain of all time, with a gross of $21.6&nbsp;million,<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 4, 1993|title=Top 10 grossers in Spain|page=66}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Groves |first=Don |title=Dinos set o'seas mark of $500 mil |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=November 22, 1993 |page=16}}</ref> and in the United Kingdom, it was [[List of 1992 box office number-one films in the United Kingdom|number one]] for three weeks and the [[List of 1992 box office number-one films in the United Kingdom#Highest-grossing films|highest-grossing film for the year]] with a gross of £15.5 million.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=January 29, 1993|page=15|title=UK Top 50 Films}}</ref> It was also number one for the year in France ($27 million), Germany (4.5 million admissions), South Africa ($3 million), Iceland, and Ireland.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=March 26, 1993|pages=34–35|title=Statistics}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=January 29, 1993|page=27|title=South African top 10 1992}}</ref> In Australia, it was [[List of 1992 box office number-one films in Australia|number one]] for three weeks and the [[List of 1992 box office number-one films in Australia#Highest-grossing films|second-highest-grossing film for the year]], grossing A$13.1 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/films-screened/top-50-each-year|title=Top 50 Films Each Year - 1992|website=Screen Australia|access-date=October 7, 2021}}</ref>

===Critical response===
''Basic Instinct''{{'}}s critical reaction was mixed. {{Rotten Tomatoes prose|56|6.2|79|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.|ref=yes|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}} On [[Metacritic]] the film holds a score of 43 based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/basic-instinct | title=Basic Instinct | work=[[Metacritic]] | publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] | access-date=February 5, 2015 | archive-date=March 3, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150303212453/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/basic-instinct | url-status=live }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemascore.com |title=CinemaScore |work=cinemascore.com |access-date=May 12, 2021 |archive-date=January 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102130540/https://www.cinemascore.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised the film, saying "''Basic Instinct'' transfers Mr. Verhoeven's flair for action-oriented material to the realm of [[Hitchcockian]] intrigue, and the results are viscerally effective even when they don't make sense."<ref>{{cite news|first=Janet|last=Maslin|authorlink=Janet Maslin|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/20/movies/review-film-sure-she-may-be-mean-but-is-she-a-murderer.html|title=Review/Film; Sure, She May Be Mean, but Is She a Murderer?|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 20, 1992|accessdate=August 19, 2023}}</ref> [[Peter Travers]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' also praised the film, saying it was a guilty pleasure film; he also expressed admiration for Verhoeven's direction, saying his "cinematic wet dream delivers the goods, especially when Sharon Stone struts on with enough come-on carnality to singe the screen," and praised Stone's performance: "Stone, a former model, is a knockout; she even got a rise out of [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] in Verhoeven's ''[[Total Recall (1990 film)|Total Recall]]''. But being the bright spot in too many dull movies (''[[He Said, She Said (film)|He Said, She Said]]''; ''[[Irreconcilable Differences]]'') stalled her career. Though ''Basic Instinct'' establishes Stone as a bombshell for the Nineties, it also shows she can nail a laugh or shade an emotion with equal aplomb."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Peter|last=Travers|authorlink=Peter Travers|title=''Basic Instinct''|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/basic-instinct-19920320|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=March 20, 1992|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628215638/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/basic-instinct-19920320 |archive-date=June 28, 2011|accessdate=March 10, 2011}}</ref>

Australian critic Shannon J. Harvey of the ''[[Sunday Times]]'' called it one of the "1990s['] finest productions, doing more for female empowerment than any [[Feminism|feminist]] rally. Stone—in her star-making performance—is as hot and sexy as she is ice-pick cold."<ref name="RottenTomatoes">{{Cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/basic_instinct |title=Basic Instinct |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |date=March 20, 1992 |access-date=February 20, 2020 |archive-date=October 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011214209/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/basic_instinct/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The film had many detractors.<ref name="CB1">{{cite web |last=Lundin |first=Leigh |title=Erotic Mystery Thrillers |url=https://criminalbrief.com/?p=13152 |website=Criminal Brief |date=July 25, 2010 |access-date=December 10, 2020 |archive-date=April 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416090947/https://criminalbrief.com/?p=13152 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' awarded it two out of four stars, saying the film was well crafted but died down in the last half-hour: "The film is like a crossword puzzle. It keeps your interest until you solve it. Then it's just a worthless scrap with the spaces filled in."<ref name="Ebert">{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/basic-instinct-1992|title=Basic Instinct|first=Roger|last=Ebert|authorlink=Roger Ebert|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|via=[[Rogerebert.com]]|date=March 20, 1992|access-date=June 6, 2020|archive-date=May 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529203009/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/basic-instinct-1992|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Dave Kehr]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' also gave a negative review, calling it psychologically empty: "Verhoeven does not explore the dark side, but merely exploits it, and that makes all the difference in the world."<ref>{{cite news|first=Dave|last=Kehr|authorlink=Dave Kehr|title=Blatant 'Instinct'|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1992-03-20-9201260046-story.html|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=March 20, 1992|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606151252/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1992-03-20-9201260046-story.html |archive-date=June 6, 2020|accessdate=June 6, 2020}}</ref>

===Controversy===
====Initial====
{{quote box|width=27%|align=right|quote=I had no pressure from anybody, not from Carolco, not from [[TriStar Pictures|Tri-Star]], not from anybody to change anything about the so-called gay issue. I did it the way I wanted. I was, you might say, [[politically correct]]. The gay characters are positive. And the reaction is totally unwarranted. Have they seen the film? No. They read the script. They read the script like fundamentalists read the [[bible]]. They could not visualize the film.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Weinraub|first1=Bernard|title=FILM; 'Basic Instinct': The Suspect Is Attractive, and May Be Fatal|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/15/movies/film-basic-instinct-the-suspect-is-attractive-and-may-be-fatal.html|date=March 15, 1992|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|page=17}}</ref><br>— Paul Verhoeven on the film's controversy before release}}
After the script was made available to [[gay rights]] activist groups in 1990, concerns arose as to the film's depiction of homosexual relationships, and the portrayal of a bisexual woman as a murderous [[psychopath]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-leader-basic-instinct-script-c/179926508/|title=Gay groups want to see homosexuals portrayed as 'normal' people on screen|work=The Times Leader|page=51|date=October 4, 1990}}</ref> Activists claimed that the film followed a pattern of negative depictions and stereotypes of homosexuals in film.<ref name="apr 91">{{cite news|first=David J.|last=Fox|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-29-ca-750-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=April 29, 1991|title=Gays Bashing 'Basic Instinct' : Movies: Activists take to the streets of San Francisco to battle a film they call offensive. The writer and director are considering script revisions.|accessdate=August 19, 2023}}</ref> While Eszterhas was open to addressing these concerns, Verhoeven, Douglas, and producer Alan Marshall rejected the changes, claiming that they "undermined" Eszterhas' script and "lessen the integrity of the picture."<ref name="Variety Marshall">{{Cite web |date=May 6, 1991 |title=Citizen's Arrests On 'Basic Instinct' Set |url=https://variety.com/1991/film/features/citizen-s-arrests-on-basic-instinct-set-99126395/ |access-date=May 7, 2023 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> Upon resuming filming in San Francisco in late April 1991, [[LGBT movements|gay and lesbian rights activists]] and demonstrators attended,<ref>{{cite video | title = Basic Instinct (Making of, The) | publisher=[[20th Century Fox]] |year=2001}}</ref> and the [[San Francisco Police Department]]'s riot police were present at every location to manage the crowds. Protesters outside the filming locations held signs that said "Honk if you love the [[San Francisco 49ers|49ers]]" and "Honk if you love men." On April 29, Marshall ordered a [[citizen's arrest]] and personally identified each protester he wanted arrested. However, this did not result in any action by the local police department.<ref name=":0"/><ref name="apr 91"/><ref name="Variety Marshall"/>
[[File:Basic Instinct protesters (1992).jpg|thumb|right|Protesters outside a theater in Philadelphia on the film's opening night]]

Members of the lesbian and bisexual activist group LABIA protested against the film on its opening night. Others also picketed theatres to dissuade people from attending screenings, carrying signs saying "Kiss My Ice Pick", "Hollywood Promotes Anti-Gay Violence" and "Catherine Did It!"/"Save Your Money—The Bisexual Did It".<ref>{{cite book|last=Couvares|first=Francis G.|title=Movie Censorship and American Culture|isbn=978-1-55849-575-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D5R7NNAuH1AC&pg=PA298|edition=2nd|year=2006|publisher=[[University of Massachusetts Press]] |location=Amherst, Massachusetts |access-date=March 9, 2021|archive-date=April 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416081336/https://books.google.com/books?id=D5R7NNAuH1AC&pg=PA298|url-status=live}}</ref> Verhoeven himself defended the groups' right to protest, but criticized the disruptions they caused, saying "[[Fascism]] is not in raising your voice; the fascism is in not accepting the no."<ref>{{cite book|last=Keesey|first=Douglas|year=2005|title=Paul Verhoeven|page=130|publisher=Taschen |isbn=978-3-8228-3101-4}}</ref>

Six protestors<!-- per the NY Times article linked in BestOfLifeOnline; the NY Times article does not use the term LGBTQ+--> disrupted the filming of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' on April 11, 1992, while Stone was hosting.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Andrew |date=2023-05-18 |title=Why Sharon Stone's 1992 "SNL" Monologue Was Pulled and Never Aired Again |url=https://bestlifeonline.com/sharon-stone-snl-monologue/ |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=Best Life |language=en}}</ref> The protestors attempted to rush the stage, but they were apprehended by security; two women and four men were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and harassment.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abramovitch |first=Seth |date=2015-11-06 |title='Saturday Night Live' on Heckling High-Alert for Donald Trump Appearance |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/saturday-night-live-heckling-high-837612/ |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |date=1992-04-13 |title=6 ARRESTED AT PROTEST OF 'SNL' SKIT WITH 'BASIC INSTINCT' STAR STONE |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/6-arrested-at-protest-of-snl-skit-with-basic-instinct-star-stone/article_1ddc1baf-9642-5a50-aa15-830fdcc4c9ba.html|access-date=2024-03-21|website=Buffalo News|language=en}}</ref> The live version of Stone's interrupted monologue was replaced in repeat broadcasts with footage from the dress rehearsal.<ref name=":2"/>

Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] mentioned the controversy in his review, saying "As for the allegedly offensive homosexual characters: The movie's protesters might take note of the fact that this film's heterosexuals, starting with Douglas, are equally offensive. Still, there is a point to be made about Hollywood's unremitting insistence on typecasting homosexuals—particularly lesbians—as twisted and evil."<ref name="Ebert"/> [[Camille Paglia]] denounced the gay activist and feminist protests against ''Basic Instinct'', and called Sharon Stone's performance "one of the great performances by a woman in screen history", praising her character as "a great [[vamp (woman)|vamp]] figure, like [[Mona Lisa]] herself, like a [[pagan]] goddess."<ref>{{cite book|first=Camille|last=Paglia|authorlink=Camille Paglia|title=Vamps & Tramps: New Essays|publisher=[[Vintage Books]]|location=New York City|date=1994|page=489|isbn=978-0679751205}}</ref>

Women's rights groups also protested the film over its negative depiction of women and a brutal rape scene, with a branch of The [[National Organization for Women]] calling the film "the most blatantly [[misogynistic]] film in recent memory." Its Los Angeles branch president at the time claimed the movie sent a message "that women like violence, women like to be used, women like to be raped."<ref name="coalition">{{Cite web |last1=Harris |first1=Scott |last2=Corwin |first2=Miles |date=March 21, 1992 |title=Opposition to Film 'Basic Instinct' Rises : Entertainment: A coalition of women's and gay rights activists fears the movie's depiction of bisexuals and lesbians will result in increased violence against women. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-03-21-me-3817-story.html |access-date=May 7, 2023 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> The film was also criticized for glamorizing cigarette smoking. Screenwriter [[Joe Eszterhas]] was later diagnosed with [[Head and neck cancer|throat cancer]] and publicly apologized for glamorizing smoking in his films.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3581820/A-smoking-star-is-a-loaded-gun.html |  work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] | title=A smoking star is a loaded gun | first=Ian | last=Ball | date=August 22, 2002 | access-date=April 2, 2018 | archive-date=August 21, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821191846/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3581820/A-smoking-star-is-a-loaded-gun.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1992, in [[Les Herbiers]], France, the mayor Jeanne Briand banned the movie in her municipality, claiming that this movie was "apologism for crime and violence, which exacerbates impulses that can lead to [[rape]]."<ref>{{cite book|access-date=2025-01-19 |date=1996 |first1=Alain |isbn=978-2-7101-1157-3 |language=fr |last1=Riou |page=189 |publisher=E.S.F. |title=Le droit de la culture et le droit à la culture |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NjswAQAAIAAJ&q=%22herbiers%22+%22basic+instinct%22+interdit}}<!-- auto-translated from French by Module:CS1 translator --></ref><ref>{{cite book|access-date=2024-08-06 |date=2020 |first1=Christophe |isbn=978-2-36716-329-1 |language=fr |last1=Triollet |page=207-208 |publisher=LettMotif |series=Darkness, censure et cinéma |title=Censure & cinéma en France |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nAkHEAAAQBAJ}}<!-- auto-translated from French by Module:CS1 translator --></ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=G |first=Ph |date=2015-12-30 |title=Le scandale de Basic Instinct aux Herbiers |url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/le-scandale-de-basic-instinct-aux-herbiers-3951842 |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=Ouest-France.fr |language=fr |quote=pas correct [...] une apologie du crime et de la violence, qui exacerbe des pulsions qui peuvent conduire au viol [...] Si la criminalité est en hausse en France, c'est à cause de ces films.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Simkin |first=Stevie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aiNHEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22basic+instinct%22+banned+france+%22les+herbiers%22&pg=PA75 |title=Basic Instinct |date=2017-09-16 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-137-29609-2 |pages=75 |language=en}}</ref>

====Renewed====
Stone has alleged multiple times that a scene in which her [[vulva]] was exposed as she crossed her legs was filmed without her knowledge.<ref name="Basic Instinct 2006">"A Conversation with Sharon Stone" from the ''Basic Instinct'': Ultimate Edition DVD (Lions Gate Home Entertainment, 2006).</ref> She said she was told that her lack of underwear would only be alluded to and not shown.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N3P20iv2uI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/9N3P20iv2uI| archive-date=December 12, 2021 |url-status=live| title=Sharon Stone talking about BI| via=YouTube| date=September 12, 2014| access-date=January 30, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> She had been wearing white underwear until Verhoeven said it reflected light on the camera lens and asked her to remove it, assuring her that only a shadow would be visible. She said it was not until she saw the film in a screening room with a [[test audience]] that she became aware of the visible nudity, leading her to slap Verhoeven in the face and leave the screening.<ref name="Basic Instinct 2006"/>

In her 2021 memoir, Stone again stated that she was misled by Verhoeven with regard to the circumstance of the filming of the scene, even though she ultimately did not seek an injunction against it.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Toyin |last=Owoseje|title=Sharon Stone says she was misled about explicit scene in 'Basic Instinct'|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/19/entertainment/sharon-stone-basic-instinct-intl-scli/index.html|access-date=March 20, 2021|agency=CNN|date=March 19, 2021 |archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320023423/https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/19/entertainment/sharon-stone-basic-instinct-intl-scli/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Verhoeven responded that it was "impossible" and "she knew exactly what we were doing." However, despite having a "radically different" memory about the particular scene, he praised Stone's performance and said they are on good terms.<ref>{{Cite magazine|first=Brent |last=Lang|title='Benedetta' Director Paul Verhoeven on Sex, His Jesus Fascination and Hollywood Puritanism'|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/paul-verhoeven-sex-religion-benedetta-basic-instinct-crusade-1235013278/|access-date=July 7, 2021|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=July 7, 2021 }}</ref> In a 1998 ''[[Inside the Actors Studio]]'' interview, Stone said that while she was initially angry, she realized Verhoeven's decision was the right one, saying, "And I thought about it for a few days and I knew in my heart, he was right. I hated that it existed, I hated it more that he stole it from me instead of allowing me to choose. But he was right."<ref>[[Inside the Actors Studio]] interview with Sharon Stone. Episode dated January 10, 1999.</ref>

In a 1993 ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' interview, [[Jeanne Tripplehorn]] stated that the notorious "brutal, bruising sex" between her and Douglas's character was  somewhat "lighter" when described to her by Verhoeven before shooting.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Ned |last=Zeman|title=Jeanne Tripplehorn in ''The Firm'' |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|url=https://ew.com/article/1993/07/23/jeanne-tripplehorn-firm/|language=en|url-status=live|date=July 23, 1993|access-date=July 2, 2024|archive-date=February 17, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240217050612/https://ew.com/article/1993/07/23/jeanne-tripplehorn-firm/}}</ref> 

During the trial for Luka Magnotta for the [[murder of Jun Lin]], the prosecution stated that Luka Magnotta stabbed Lin to death with a screwdriver painted silver in order to resemble the ice pick used by Stone's character, Catherine Tramell.<ref name=cbc-bi>{{cite news|last=Shivji|first=Salimah|title=Luka Magnotta inspired by film Basic Instinct, Crown says |publisher=[[CBC News]]|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/luka-magnotta-inspired-by-film-basic-instinct-crown-says-1.2834542|language=en|url-status=live|date=November 17, 2014|access-date=July 2, 2024|archive-date=July 2, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240702151503/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/luka-magnotta-inspired-by-film-basic-instinct-crown-says-1.2834542}}</ref><ref name=dfwc>{{cite AV media|title=Don't F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer|medium=Streaming|publisher=[[Netflix]]|date=2019}}</ref>

===Awards and nominations===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Recipients
! Result
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[65th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1993 |title=The 65th Academy Awards (1993) Nominees and Winners |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=October 22, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109220926/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1993 |archive-date=November 9, 2014}}</ref>
| [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]]
| [[Frank J. Urioste]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Jerry Goldsmith]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BMI Film & TV Awards]]
| Film Music Award
| {{won}}
|-
| [[1992 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes Film Festival]]<ref name="CANNES"/>
| [[Palme d'Or]]
| [[Paul Verhoeven]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 1992|Chicago Film Critics Association Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://chicagofilmcritics.org/awards-blog/archives |title=1988-2013 Award Winner Archives |publisher=[[Chicago Film Critics Association]] |date=January 1, 2013 |access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref>
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| [[Sharon Stone]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[DVD Exclusive Awards]]
| Best Original Retrospective Documentary
| [[Jeffrey Schwarz]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[50th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/basic-instinct/ |title=Basic Instinct |publisher=[[Golden Globe Awards]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama|Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama]]
| Sharon Stone
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score – Motion Picture]]
| Jerry Goldsmith
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[13th Golden Raspberry Awards|Golden Raspberry Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://razzies.com/asp/content/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=31 |title=1992 Golden Raspberry Awards |publisher=[[Golden Raspberry Awards]] |date=August 23, 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060221015651/http://razzies.com/asp/content/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=31 |access-date=May 29, 2018 |archive-date=February 21, 2006}}</ref>
| [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor|Worst Actor]]
| [[Michael Douglas]] {{small|(also for ''[[Shining Through]]'')}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress|Worst Supporting Actress]]
| [[Jeanne Tripplehorn]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst New Star|Worst New Star]]
| Sharon Stone's tribute to [[Beaver Cleaver|Theodore Cleaver]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="3"| [[Goldene Leinwand|Golden Screen Awards]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Japan Academy Film Prize]]
| colspan="2"| [[Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Foreign Language Film|Outstanding Foreign Language Film]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="6"| [[1993 MTV Movie Awards|MTV Movie Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[MTV Movie Award for Movie of the Year|Best Movie]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[MTV Movie Award for Best Actor in a Movie|Best Male Performance]]
| Michael Douglas
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[MTV Movie Award for Best Actor in a Movie|Best Female Performance]]
| rowspan="3"| Sharon Stone
| {{won}}
|-
| [[MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Female|Most Desirable Female]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[MTV Movie Award for Best Villain|Best Villain]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo|Best On-Screen Duo]]
| Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Nikkan Sports Film Award]]s
| colspan="2"| [[Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Foreign Film|Best Foreign Film]]
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[19th Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |title=Past Saturn Awards |publisher=[[Saturn Awards]] |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914184217/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |archive-date=September 14, 2008 |df=mdy}}</ref>
| colspan="2"| [[Saturn Award for Best Horror Film|Best Horror Film]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Paul Verhoeven
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Writing|Best Writing]]
| [[Joe Eszterhas]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| Sharon Stone
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Music|Best Music]]
| Jerry Goldsmith
| {{nom}}
|}

==Reboot==
In July 2025, it was announced that [[Amazon MGM Studios]]' label [[United Artists]], headed by [[Scott Stuber]], had paid $2 million to buy rights to a currently untitled reboot of the film, with Eszterhas returning to write the script.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/basic-instinct-writer-joe-eszterhas-reboot-amazon-mgm-1236319012/|title= 'Basic Instinct' Writer Joe Eszterhas to Pen Reboot Movie for Amazon MGM Studios|date= July 17, 2025|access-date= July 17, 2025|first= Ryan|last= Gajewski|work= The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref>

In August 2025, Sharon Stone said she was not involved with the project and questioned the need for a reboot, telling US TV’s ''Today'': "I don't know why you'd do it{{nbsp}}... good luck," and later adding that "there's not going to be a ''Basic Instinct'' reboot."<ref>{{cite news |last=Shoard |first=Catherine |title=Sharon Stone says she's not involved in Basic Instinct reboot: 'I don't know why you'd do it' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/aug/19/sharon-stone-not-involved-basic-instinct-reboot |work=The Guardian |date=19 August 2025 |access-date=19 August 2025}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Film}}
*''[[Fatal Attraction]]'', a 1987 film, also starring Douglas, exploring similar themes
*''[[Fatal Instinct]]'', a 1993 film parody

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q146673|c=category:Basic Instinct|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|wikt=no|s=no|species=no|display=''Basic Instinct''}}
*{{Official website|https://www.studiocanal.com/title/basic-instinct-1992/}}
*{{IMDb title}}
*{{Mojo title}}
*{{Letterboxd title}}
*{{Metacritic film}}
*{{Rotten Tomatoes}}
*{{AFI film}}
* [https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/dfd273d9-dfcf-51e5-a607-fefa5f025511/basic-instinct ''Basic Instinct''] at the [[British Film Institute]]
*{{TCMDb title}}

{{Basic Instinct}}
{{Paul Verhoeven}}
{{Joe Eszterhas}}
{{Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Foreign Film}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Basic Instinct}}
[[Category:Basic Instinct]]
[[Category:1992 films]]
[[Category:1992 crime thriller films]]
[[Category:1992 LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:1992 psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:1990s British films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s French films]]
[[Category:1990s erotic thriller films]]
[[Category:1990s feminist films]]
[[Category:1990s mystery thriller films]]
[[Category:1990s serial killer films]]
[[Category:American crime thriller films]]
[[Category:American erotic thriller films]]
[[Category:American feminist films]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:American mystery thriller films]]
[[Category:American neo-noir films]]
[[Category:American police detective films]]
[[Category:American psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:American serial killer films]]
[[Category:British crime thriller films]]
[[Category:British erotic thriller films]]
[[Category:British feminist films]]
[[Category:British LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:British mystery thriller films]]
[[Category:British neo-noir films]]
[[Category:British psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:British serial killer films]]
[[Category:Carolco Pictures films]]
[[Category:English-language crime thriller films]]
[[Category:English-language erotic thriller films]]
[[Category:English-language French films]]
[[Category:English-language mystery thriller films]]
[[Category:Erotic mystery films]]
[[Category:Films about female bisexuality]]
[[Category:Films about murderers]]
[[Category:Films about rape in the United States]]
[[Category:Films about sexuality]]
[[Category:Films about writers]]
[[Category:Films directed by Paul Verhoeven]]
[[Category:Films produced by Alan Marshall (producer)]]
[[Category:Films produced by Mario F. Kassar]]
[[Category:Films scored by Jerry Goldsmith]]
[[Category:Films set in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Films shot in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Joe Eszterhas]]
[[Category:French crime thriller films]]
[[Category:French erotic thriller films]]
[[Category:French feminist films]]
[[Category:French LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:French mystery thriller films]]
[[Category:French neo-noir films]]
[[Category:French psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:French serial killer films]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related controversies in film]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related thriller films]]
[[Category:Obscenity controversies in film]]
[[Category:Rating controversies in film]]
[[Category:TriStar Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films about psychopaths and sociopaths]]
[[Category:Films about female psychopaths and sociopaths]]