Basic Instinct (Unrated Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]

Where most of the attempts to reinvent film noir fail, this film succeeds. The concept of transgression is translated into a modernized setting in a way that embraces film noir values, but at the same time feels utterly non-derivative. Much of the plotting and dialogue is wonderfully complex and subtle, and Verhoeven gives the whole thing a uniquely perverse spin. The music is worth a viewing by itself, as it is stunningly effective. In a film like this, you don't expect a score so lush and romantic, but it works. The film has perhaps two knocks. It is, when all is said and done, a whodunit, and carries all the negatives of that genre, the worst of which is the plethora of hints dropped to implicate this character or that. The other knock is more serious. There is a giant hole in the story which becomes apparent at the very end. From the get-go, Trammel tells Nick that he (the detective in her story) is going to fall in love with the wrong woman and she's going to kill him. And of course the ice-pick revelation at the very end of the film is meant to confirm that. But none of this works. Trammel has spent years orchestrating the perfect crime, committing a string of murders and drawing a net around Garner/Hoberman to implicate the psychologist and put herself in the clear. Having succeeded with all of that, Trammel cannot kill Nick at the end--especially not with an icepick. That would blow the whole thing. Irrespective of that, BI is a great achievement and worth many viewings. Update 11/10/19: After a number of additional viewings, I might soften my criticism of the hole at the end. Trammel is diabolically rational and devious in engineering the appearance of Garner's guilt. But at the same time, the film does a good job of persuading us that she is a wildly emotional creature and genuinely distraught that all the people around her die. It could be argued that, despite having committed the perfect crime, she's so sick that she might kill Nick anyway, without concern for the consequences.

I am so impressed with this movie. For one thing it kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was really going on. And it wasn't stupid but well written. A nice thing about it was that there was no clear cut black and white for good guys and bad guys, or girls. As in true life some times we aren't as nice as we'd like other people to believe. The shots were fantastic. The directing and acting superb. Sharon Stone was fantastic. It was just a movie that was so well done, which is a real rarity. It is for adults with adult themes: Murder, sex, naked bodies, bi-sexuality, and adult language. It was done with class and was impressive as well. It is very much worth watching.

the ice pick at the end is not like the others. this movie is not like the others, esp not basic 2, which sucks the grand cahuula big time. beautiful scenery, beautiful people, beautiful writting, in a pervert-directed movie which makes everybody's list as best 10, or best 100, or best 1000, depending on what you are gathering together. sharon stone very gifted and very beautiful. razor sharp film worth keeping and watching again time after time, like all the great ones, at least once every five years. evil women, men who are not whimps and therefore do not die of natural causes, and views into the very rich who are more fun to look at, and who live in better settings, often along the water. it's too bad more women do not review this film, or films like it, because every man will own this movie one day, and perhaps only every third woman. but maybe not. i was hoping rush limbaugh would play gus in basic instinct three, but after two, we all gave up. i recommend this adventure to all who have realized an instinct or two sometime in the recent past...........

I enjoyed this movie a great deal. The acting, production value, and writing is very good. Sharon Stone is perfect as a Ice Queen, she was the best part. The Blu ray edition looks very good and it has alot of special features. Overall a good release.

Actually if you can take your eyes off the girls you will realize this is a great motion picture effort with great acting. Jerry Goldsmith's score is fantastic too. The lines are equal to those of an Arnold movie. Naughtily suggestive with great one-liners like: "Well sargent, what did you have in mind . . ."

totally an extraordinary movie its got GREAT sex scenes, but the woman in the movie is one of the CREEPIEST people i have ever seen on screen and as the mystery unfolds everyone thinks she is responsible for the killings until a few pieces of evidence turn up.........and the movie takes off and her lesbian lover wants to kill the cop investigating as she becomes taken by him.......its a GREAT all round action suspense movie although an ice pick and axe murder kind of keep this character from being overly appealing....... bottom line is that she writes a horror romance and the investigating cops ex turns out to be the one who is obsessed on this woman and acts this out.....great story i give it a PERFECT rating i love it

A very entertaining crime thriller!

Sharon Stone at her finest, a sexy movie all the way through.