Basic Instinct (1992)

Nick Curran might be the worst detective in San Francisco, and the whole movie depends on him walking into every trap with his eyes wide open. The setup is great pulp: a mystery novelist whose latest book seems to describe a real case before it happened, and a cop who can’t tell if he’s investigating her or starring in her next chapter. Sharon Stone is the reason to watch. Catherine is calm, funny and always a step ahead, and her interrogation scene, where she turns a room full of detectives into her audience, is a clinic in staying cool. Michael Douglas plays Nick as a sweaty bundle of bad decisions. George Dzundza’s Gus is the only cop with common sense. The twists stack up until the plot stops making sense. It made $352.9 million worldwide on a reported $49M. A 5.6 because Stone is magnetic and the mystery is thinner than it looks. $458.63 says the next time a friend says they’re writing a book, you ask, very casually, who the villain is based on.

What works: Sharon Stone’s ice-cool wit and the cat-and-mouse conversations where Catherine treats every question like research for her next novel.

What doesn’t: Nick is such a reckless, unlikable lead that it’s hard to care whether he solves anything, and the late twists pile into a muddle.

Who it’s for: Grown-up mystery readers who love an unreliable suspect and a detective who really should have stayed home.