The Ending Of Basic Instinct Explained

The 1992 erotic mystery thriller "Basic Instinct" is iconic for a number of reasons. One of the most notable is the stellar performance by Sharon Stone as Catherine Tramell, the smooth and seductive crime author with a "devious, diabolical mind." It was Stone's big breakout role that made her a star, though the film itself was a source of controversy. The film also stars Michael Douglas as Nick Curran, the hard-boiled homicide detective with his own share of skeletons in his closet. Jeanne Tripplehorn, George Dzundza, Leilani Sarelle, and Wayne Knight round out the supporting cast.

Directed by Paul Verhoeven, "Basic Instinct" is a modern neo-noir that brought to life one of cinema's most famous femme fatales. The movie is notorious for the interrogation scene, in which Stone's million-dollar legs (among other things) are shown off for the camera. That scene is what first comes to mind when most people think of "Basic Instinct," but the second is probably the final scene with the movie's big twist ending. Though the movie was released over 30 years ago, it continues to be a subject of discussion for a variety of reasons. One reason may be due to a bit of confusion over that final scene, so let's clear things up once and for all and talk about the ending of "Basic Instinct."

"Basic Instinct" begins with the grisly murder of a man by a mysterious blonde while the two are having sex. Detective Nick Curran (Douglas) speaks to author Catherine Trammel for questioning, but she claims to have a rock-solid alibi — why would she commit a murder in the exact same way that she wrote in her book? She's clearly being set up.

Although Nick doesn't buy Catherine's innocent act for a second, he quickly becomes infatuated with her. The two begin sleeping together, as Nick lowers his guard. Meanwhile, Nick learns that police psychiatrist Dr. Beth Garner (Tripplehorn) was once acquainted with Catherine in college years before. According to Catherine, Beth was obsessed with her, even changing her appearance to look more like Catherine — though Beth argues that it was the other way around. Beth warns Nick that Catherine is a manipulative psychotic, but Nick is too far gone to listen.

As more murders begin piling up, Nick becomes even more determined to find the killer. The evidence accumulates, and all of it seems to point to Beth as the killer. When Nick's partner, Gus (George Dzundza), is murdered in an elevator and Nick finds Beth at the crime scene, he shoots and kills her, believing she has a gun. It turns out she just had a key chain in her pocket, but as far as the detectives are concerned, the killer was caught, and the case is closed.

Nick returns home to find Catherine, who had just ended things with Nick earlier that day. Tearfully, she confesses that she was afraid to get too close to Nick because everyone she cares about dies. The two share yet another steamy love scene, and for a moment, it looks like this may be the end for Nick. Luckily, their romantic interlude concludes without anyone getting stabbed, and the two of them indulge in pillow talk afterward.

During their post-coitus moment together, Catherine asks Nick what's next for the two of them. Recalling an earlier conversation, Nick suggests they "f*** like minks, raise rugrats, and live happily ever after." In a close-up of Catherine's face, we see her furrowed brow, and her hand slowly reaches over the edge of the bed before she says she's not fond of kids. Nick revises his statement to nix the idea of children, and there is a tense moment of silence between the two as the music builds. Catherine's hand is hidden behind the bed as the audience holds their breath, but then she reaches out and grabs Nick for a passionate kiss.

The tension lifts, and now Nick and Catherine can have their "happily ever after." Except, of course, that's not where it ends. As the lovers get down and dirty one more time, the camera moves down to reveal what was hidden under the bed the entire time — an icepick.

Okay, let's start unpacking that ending. During Nick's investigation into Catherine and the murders, it's clear that Catherine is no innocent victim. She's manipulative and cunning and likes to play dangerous games — not only with Nick and the police, but with everyone around her. She revels in her cat-and-mouse game with the detective, claiming her innocence even while teasing hints of her guilt. She flaunts an icepick in front of Nick on two occasions, knowing that the same kind of icepick was used as the murder weapon. 

The conclusion we are left with is that Catherine framed Beth to make her look like the killer. Catherine told Nick about Beth being obsessed with her in college to plant the idea in his mind — however, it's more likely that it was the other way around, as Beth claimed. In fact, Catherine likely orchestrated the entire thing from the beginning to get revenge on her ex for rejecting her all those years before. The fact that Nick and Beth were involved and Catherine seduced Nick out from under her was just icing on the cake.

As for the film's final scene, it looks like Catherine was ready to take Nick out, too. Instead, when Nick takes back his statement about having a traditional life together, Catherine decides to let him stick around a while longer.

Although Nick Curran is the protagonist of "Basic Instinct," it wouldn't be right to call him a hero. In fact, there are moments throughout the movie that establish him as an outright terrible person. He once killed two innocent people while he was undercover on a case. Nick was cleared of any charges, but the incident still haunts him.

As part of his return to the force, he is required to see the police psychiatrist, Beth Garner. They end up having an affair, and Nick takes advantage of their relationship so that Beth will allow him to return to work. There's also a rather disturbing scene in which Nick goes home with Beth so the two can have sex. Nick gets too rough with Beth against her will and ends up raping her, and she kicks him out the next day. Even when Nick begins a relationship with Catherine, he continues to string Beth along.

Nick's obsession with Catherine isn't just because she's a charismatic woman, but because the two share the same dark tendencies. Catherine calls Nick out on being a killer and an addict, and it's the sense of danger he gets from her that Nick finds thrilling. While it's possible that deep down he knows Catherine is guilty, he is willing to live in ignorant bliss if it means he gets to keep seeing her.

Catherine Tramell is many things — a narcissist, a manipulator, a seductress, and, above all, a mystery. When she is first introduced in "Basic Instinct," she exudes confidence with her intelligence and forthrightness. She shows no sympathy when she learns of her ex-lover's murder, and she seemingly has no remorse for the people she uses. Her lover, Roxy (Leilani Sarelle), is just one victim of Catherine's toxicity, as she is forced to watch Catherine seduce Nick despite how jealous it makes her.

Yet there are moments when Catherine shows her vulnerable side. When Roxy is killed following a tense car chase scene with Nick, Catherine mourns her and even blames herself. Catherine breaks things off with Nick when her book is finished, stating that she is done with him. But later, she comes back to him in a rare show of humility, claiming that she is in love with him and was afraid of getting her heart broken.

The tough thing is figuring out whether or not Catherine is sincere about her feelings, or whether it's just a show. If what the psychiatrist says at the beginning of the film is correct, and Catherine is clinically a psychopath, then she could be faking her emotions. Yet when we see Catherine reaching for the icepick at the end of the movie and then changing her mind, it has us questioning things. Maybe she's not as evil as she's made out to be — or, maybe, she's just biding her time, which leads us to the next question.

This is the big question that has opened up countless discussions for "Basic Instinct" fans. At the end of the movie, the camera reveals the icepick under the bed as the music plays ominously. The screen cuts to black and the credits roll, leaving the audience to wonder what happened next.

There are many clues throughout "Basic Instinct" that suggest Catherine does murder Nick in the end. When Catherine and Nick first meet, she tells him about the new book she's writing in which a detective falls for the wrong woman and then she kills him. In a later scene after Nick and Catherine have sex, he suggests that she change the ending of her book to something happier, but Catherine insists that someone has to die, because "someone always does."

There's also the fact that Nick doesn't show up in the 2006 sequel, "Basic Instinct 2." In fact, he's not even mentioned at all. That doesn't necessarily mean that Catherine killed him, though. It could just be that their relationship ended naturally. Yet from what we know about Catherine, it could just as easily be that she did do Nick in and then fled the country afterward. The filmmakers purposely left the ending ambiguous for the audience to decide whether or not they think Nick survives.

As if the ending of "Basic Instinct" wasn't already confusing enough, there are some other theories out there that may have audiences second-guessing themselves. There are many moments throughout the movie that place suspicion on Dr. Beth Gardner as the killer. That she changed her name and appearance and had a previous relationship with Catherine in college that went awry adds to her suspicion. Catherine claims that Beth was obsessed with her to the point where she had to have a restraining order placed on her. There's also Beth's romantic feelings for Nick and the possibility that she could be trying to frame Catherine out of jealousy.

One theory online even suggests that both possibilities are true — or not, depending on your point of view. In a discussion about "Basic Instinct" on the website Stack Exchange, user Frank A. suggests that there are actually two endings for the movie. "There are two fully developed storylines throughout the whole film. In one storyline, Catherine is the killer. In the second storyline, Beth is the killer." They go on to say that the first ending occurs when the camera pans away from Nick and Catherine, and this suggests the story ending with Beth as the killer. The second is the reveal of the icepick under the bed, which makes Catherine the killer. It's quite a theory, to say the least, but the idea of two possible storylines for the same film is certainly an intriguing one.

The ending of "Basic Instinct" is ultimately left for the audience to decide Nick Curran's fate. Does Catherine use the icepick under the bed to murder her newest suitor, or did the two, in fact, enjoy a relatively blissful (albeit ignorant) relationship? While we know that Nick and Catherine didn't end up living happily ever after (since Nick doesn't show up in the movie's sequel), we're still left to wonder whatever happened to the enamored detective.

Apparently, if Michael Douglas had his way, things would have ended up very differently for the couple. In an interview with The A.V. Club, "Basic Instinct" screenwriter Joe Eszterhas revealed that Douglas wanted a more definitive conclusion. "Michael wanted to shoot [Catherine] at the end and end the movie that way," Eszterhas said, while also claiming that such an ending "would have destroyed the film." Eszterhas also said that Douglas "was adamant that Sharon one-ups him at every turn, and he was just fervent about the notion that there was no redemption in the piece, and that she wins, that evil wins." This feels like a bit of a conflicting message, but luckily, Douglas' more definitive idea for the film's ending didn't make it into the script.

"Basic Instinct" certainly had its fair share of controversy. The explicit sex scenes and graphic violence had the filmmakers fighting with the MPAA for an R rating as opposed to a rating of NC-17, which eventually led to some creative editing to appease the ratings board. Additionally, the famous interrogation scene that had Stone exposing her genitals on camera was allegedly done without the actor's knowledge. Stone accused director Paul Verhoeven of lying about what would show up on camera. She told Vanity Fair the first time she saw the completed scene and saw that her vagina was visible, she slapped Verhoeven in the face.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community were also outraged by the negative portrayal of bisexual and lesbian characters in the film. According to a 1991 article in Variety, several protesters were arrested on the set when the filmmakers refused to make changes to the film's script. During its theatrical release, members of GLAAD reportedly stood outside of L.A. theaters to protest the film, as well as members of Queer Nation, who spoiled the movie for incoming patrons by chanting slogans that gave away the ending. 

There's no doubt that films in the early '90s were guilty of dangerously portraying LBGTQ+ characters in a negative light. Films like "Basic Instinct," along with "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," perpetuate harmful, incorrect stereotypes that queer people are psychotics and violent killers. While Hollywood seems to have improved since then, they still have a lot of work ahead of them. 

Since the ending of "Basic Instinct" has Catherine getting away with murder, it only made sense for the character to continue her spree of mayhem and seduction. Yet even with the huge box office success of "Basic Instinct," it would still be a while before there would be any news of a continuation. In 2001, a deal fell through with MGM on a sequel, resulting in a $14 million lawsuit against the studio by Stone. According to Wired, the film would have had Benjamin Bratt starring opposite Stone, who would reprise her role as the enigmatic Catherine Tramell.

Finally, in 2006, "Basic Instinct 2" was released in theaters. Stone, of course, reprises her role as Catherine, with the setting of the film moved from San Francisco to London. This time, Catherine matches wits with psychiatrist Dr. Michael Glass (David Morrissey). The best-selling American author gets up to her old tricks, seducing Glass and pulling him into her nefarious mind games. Naturally, things don't end well for the good doctor, who ends up in a psychiatric ward at the end of the film, and Catherine once again goes free.

"Basic Instinct" left the door open for a sequel with its ambiguous ending, and "Basic Instinct 2," after languishing in developmental hell, tried to fulfill that potential. It may not be much of a surprise that "Basic Instinct 2" was a total flop, both financially and critically. The movie holds a dismal 6% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics bashing the film's predictable and cliched writing as well as poor performances from the actors. Matthew Leyland with the BBC dubbed the performances alternately "embarrassed" and "simply embarrassing," while Peter Howell of the Toronto Star observed, "Even the ice pick looks like it really doesn't want to be there."

If "Basic Instinct 2" hadn't been the complete disaster that it was, it's possible the franchise would have been turned into a trilogy. While the franchise had potential, Catherine may not have returned as a main character. Stone at one time expressed interest in making "Basic Instinct 3," although it would have been in a directorial role rather than being in front of the camera. Stone said that a script was in the works at one point and that filming would have continued in the United Kingdom. However, there hasn't been any reliable news for nearly a decade in regard to a third film, so it's probably safe to say that "Basic Instinct 3" has been officially put on ice.