Basic Instinct

Basic Instinct is a 1992 erotic thriller mystery film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. Starring Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Wayne Knight, the film follows San Francisco homicide detective Nick Curran (Douglas) as he investigates the murder of rock star Johnny Boz, only to begin an intense relationship with the prime suspect Catherine Tramell (Stone), a wealthy heiress and crime novelist. 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, who was relatively unknown at the time, was cast as Tramell after the role was rejected by several prominent 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 by TriStar Pictures in the United States two days later. The film received mixed reviews from critics; while praise was given to the performances, score, and editing, the script and character development were criticized. It also generated controversy due to its graphic depiction of violence and homosexual relationships. Despite public protest, it was a commercial success, grossing $353 million against its $49 million production budget, becoming the fourth highest grossing film of 1992. Due to its success and controversy, it inspired many imitators and has been labeled as "perhaps the quintessential erotic thriller of the 1990s". 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.