Basic Instinct
Crime, Thriller
Artisan  (1992) 129 mins R

6.8 (44,669 votes)
A brutal murder. A brilliant killer. A cop who can't resist the danger.

Michael Douglas stars as Nick Curran, a tough but vulnerable detective. Sharon Stone costars as Catherine Tramell, a cold, calculating, and beautiful novelist with an insatiable sexual appetite. Catherine becomes a prime suspect when her boyfriend is brutally murdered--a crime she had described in her latest novel. But would she be so obvious as to write about a crime she was going to commit? Or is she being set up by a jealous rival? Obsessed with cracking the case, Nick descends into San Francisco's forbidden underground where suspicions mount, bodies fall, and he finds within himself an instinct more basic than survival....

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Cast and Crew
Jeanne Tripplehorn  ......  Dr. Beth Garner
George Dzundza  ......  Gus Moran
Sharon Stone  ......  Catherine Tramell
Michael Douglas  ......  Det. Nick Curran
Denis Arndt  ......  Lt. Philip Walker
Leilani Sarelle  ......  Roxy
Director  .....  Paul Verhoeven
Producer  .....  Alan Marshall; William S. Beasley; Louis D'Esposito
Writer  .....  Joe Eszterhas
Notes
Goofs:
Continuity: The marks from Catherine's scratches can be see on Nick's back before she scratches him. (more)

Trivia:
Kim Basinger, Emma Thompson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Greta Scacchi, 'Julia Roberts' and 'Meg Ryan' turned down the role of Catherine Tramell. Kelly Lynch was reportedly offered the role, and Mariel Hemingway and Kelly McGillis both auditioned for it. Lena Olin reportedly wanted the role, but refused to work with Paul Verhoeven. (more)

Filming Locations:
1158 Montgomery Street, Telegraph Hill, San Francisco, California, USA (more)

Quotes:
[first lines]
Gus: Who was this fucking guy?
Nick: Rock and Roll, Gus. Johnny Boz?
Gus: Never heard of him.
Nick: Before your time, cowboy. Hey, Ronny! Where they hiding?
Ronny: Upstairs to the right.
Nick: Mid Sixties he had five or six hits. Got a club down in Fillmore now.
Gus: Not now, he don't.
(more)

Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 16 nominations (more)