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Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop, Soldier of Orange) directs this sexually super-charged Hitchcockian thriller about a San Francisco detective (Michael Douglas) investigating a seductive writer (Sharon Stone) about a murder case that plays out similar to one of her novels. As he digs deeper, he discovers more and more reason to believe she is indeed the killer, and that his own life may be in danger. Verhoeven balances the action and intrigue with a hefty amount of sexual tension between the two leads. This was Sharon Stone’s star-making performance — you can’t take your eyes off her. Director of photography Jan de Bont and composer Jerry Goldsmith add even more luster to Basic Instinct, bestowing the film visually and aurally with a constant blend of beauty and danger. Unlike a lot of popular American movies, this one also maintains a healthy amount of ambiguity, right through the ending. With Jeanne Tripplehorn and Wayne Knight.

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Score (Jerry Goldsmith), Best Film Editing (Frank Urioste)