‘Basic Instinct’ Didn’t Age Well

Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct | Credit: TriStar Pictures

For years, I’ve heard references to Basic Instinct, but I had never seen the movie before. Now that it’s streaming on Netflix, I finally got around to watching it and it was quite an experience.

This film follows Detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) as he tries to solve the brutally gruesome murder the movie opens with. He has a checkered and violent past but remains wholly dedicated to his job. During the course of his investigation, he meets Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) a seductive and manipulative author.

Basic Instinct was a really entertaining film and a great example of a modern noir. The eerie score filled every moment with a new level of tension and enhanced the entire story. Sharon Stone was excellent as the femme-fatal, and Michael Douglas nailed the damaged detective who tirelessly pursues justice. There were solid red herrings, plenty of misdirection, and murky motives that I imagine audiences were blown away on the roller coaster ride of a story. The plot kept you guessing and second-guessing who was responsible for the gruesome murders depicted on screen.

I’ve read some reviews where people call Basic Instinct required viewing, but I really don’t think it is. Honestly, it was a difficult film to watch as a woman, especially in 2020. While the story is solid, I think there are plenty of other noir films to watch that have aged better than this one.

However, it’s currently streaming on Netflix, so if you want to watch it and haven’t, go and check it out. I’m going to spoil the ending so if you don’t want it spoiled, stop reading now.

Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct | Credit: TriStar Pictures

Though the story as a whole was very well thought through and strategically planned, there was one huge plot hole: DNA. The film makes it clear that the murderer had sex with the victim, which should’ve enabled them to quickly solve this case. While watching, I was so perplexed why they didn’t use all of the forensic possibilities available to them — this question kept taking me out of the action of the film. As long as you’re willing to suspend disbelief in that one regard, it’s edge-of-your-seat entertainment.

The lack of forensic detective work wasn’t the only problematic element in the film; most of my biggest problems with Basic Instinct are in regards to female characters. This film really reminded me of just how different the movie landscape is today.

While I was disturbed by the relationship between Nick and Beth (Jeanne Tripplehorn), I was going along with it until he rapes her on screen. As they were getting more and more passionate, I kept expecting the camera to cut away. And then, once she said ‘no’ repeatedly, I expected him to honor her boundaries. Before that moment, I didn’t like him, and after that, I was actively rooting against him, which is not exactly how you want the audience to respond to the protagonist.

Not only was I incredibly disturbed that this could be included in a film and the scene positioned as a moment of intense passion, but I was shocked that there wasn’t more outrage about that scene.

While I felt sorry for her and desperately wanted to get her out of that situation, I really didn’t understand her character. And, when her backstory is revealed, I was left with way more questions than answers. How could someone that disturbed get away with so much? How are there no departmental guidelines or checks and balances on her role? And how could she work her way into being a psychiatrist at a police department?

Clearly, the San Fransisco police department needs a technology upgrade and a serious revamp of its staffing policies.

Catherine is the only female character who is well-rounded, though she is still incredibly problematic. I wanted to know more about this accomplished author with an incredibly troubling past. Her manipulative and sinister nature clearly shines through her beautiful and perfect facade. Every new fact we learned about her made me want to learn more — I wanted to understand her, though that’s likely impossible.

Last but not least, there’s Roxy, a sex-crazed pawn in Catherine’s schemes. I had many follow-up questions for her as well. How did she lose herself in Catherine’s world? Who was she outside of her sexual encounters? It would’ve been nice for her to have more agency instead of just being Nick’s rival.

One painfully obvious plot piece in the film is that all of the female characters who are attracted to other women are also homicidal psychopaths. That’s clearly a deliberate choice and one that maybe wasn’t decried in 1992 but is off-putting in 2020. While watching, I was painfully aware of just how much LGBTQ+ rights have increased over the years.

Some films really haven’t aged well, and Basic Instinct is one of them. While portions of the film were well done, all in all, the sex-crazed women lacking agency, the rape scene, and the poor portrayal of LGBTQ+ people made it a difficult film to watch. I can see why some men have really liked this film over the years, but it’s not the easiest one to get through as a woman.

Watching a film like this makes me really grateful for the increased representation that we see in Hollywood today.