Basic Instinct is an American thriller/neo-noir film, directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, starring Sharon Stone, Michael Douglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn and George Dzundza. It was released in 1992.

The film centres around police detective Nick Curran (Douglas), who is put in charge of the investigation of a brutal murder of a wealthy former singer. Beautiful, seductive and wealthy writer Catherine Tramell (Stone) could be involved, and the detective's karma leads him into a torrid and intense relationship with the mysterious woman, who also turns out to be very dangerous.

Controversy surrounded Basic Instinct before it was even released. Gay rights activists strongly criticized the film and its depiction of homosexual relationships, especially the depiction of lesbian and bisexual women as psychopathic serial killers. In addition, the film reawakened arguments about censorship in the United States. It was initially given an NC-17 rating by the MPAA for its graphic content. However, the 1992 theatrical release was cut by about one minute in order to gain an R rating. The film was subsequently re-released in its uncut format on video and later on DVD.

Despite, or because of, its controversy, Basic Instinct was a major hit and became one of the best box office performers of 1992, collecting nearly $353 million worldwide and becoming one of the most well-known films of the 1990s. While receiving major commercial attention, it was also critically commended,Basic Instinct at Rotten Tomatoes; accessed November 5, 2007. receiving two Academy Award and two Golden Globe nominations—Jerry Goldsmith, the composer, was nominated for both awards for his original score, while Frank Urioste was nominated for an Academy Award for his editing and Sharon Stone was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Actress. The success of the film was followed by a long-awaited release of a sequel, Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction'' (2006), which was poorly received critically and commercially. Multiple versions of the film have been released including a director's cut, the most recent release being in 2006.

Plot

In San Francisco, a down-and-out, recovering alcoholic detective, Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), has been involved in a turbulent relationship with Beth Garner (Jeanne Tripplehorn), a psychiatrist whose work for the police department includes reviewing Nick's own case.

When a wealthy, former rock star named Johnny Boz is brutally stabbed to death with an ice pick while having sex with a blond woman, Nick is sent to investigate. The only suspect they have is Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), a crime novelist last seen with Boz on the night he died.