Basic Instinct 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Basic Instinct 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 17, 2025

If catching a glimpse of Sharon Stone's naughty bits in 4K and Dolby Vision was on your Bingo card for 2025, you're in luck. Lionsgate Limited has settled into a more or less regular release schedule with their line of 4K UHD releases, frequently with SteelBook packaging, and Stone's famous, um, turn in Basic Instinct is one of the boutique e-tailer's new outings for April. This is the first three disc release from Lionsgate Limited that I've reviewed, with a 4K UHD disc and two 1080 discs. The 1080 presentation here is new (often Lionsgate tends to recycle "legacy" 1080 discs with their 4K UHD releases).

Basic Instinct had a long ago 1080 release courtesy of Lionsgate and Svet Atanasov's Basic Instinct Blu-ray review provides a plot summary, a list of supplements on that release (all ported over here), and Svet's reaction to that disc's technical presentation. As I so often state, different reviewers means different opinions, and my score for the overall film reflects that difference.

Basic Instinct 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package.

Basic Instinct is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.39:1 (as mentioned above the AVC encoded 1080p transfer included in this release is also new). The first thing that this new version improves is its correction of the original aspect ratio, which was just slightly misdone on the old 1080 release. While the difference between 2.35:1 and 2.39:1 is admittedly small, it's still an immediate indication that care has been taken to accurately reproduce the theatrical exhibition experience. Probably less subliminally noticeable, though, is the increased brightness and slightly more yellow-orange timing of this new presentation, which I found more natural looking on the whole than Lionsgate's older 1080 release. Detail levels are generally superb throughout, to the point that certain, um, fine hairs can almost be counted despite their brief appearance. The outdoor material in particular pops exceedingly well, and fine detail levels in those scenes tends to be excellent. This is another 4K presentation where I wouldn't be surprised to hear some may actually prefer the included 1080 presentation for its somewhat less overwhelming accounting of grain in lower light scenes in particular. It's actually quite interesting to note how tight grain can resolve in some of the sunny beachside scenes, only to become seriously grittier to the point of masking fine detail in some less well lit interior moments. Dolby Vision / HDR struck me as adding particular to the warmer end of the spectrum, with some of the yellow-orange material having an almost burnt umber tone here.

Basic Instinct 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Basic Instinct features a nicely enveloping DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, as well as providing the original theatrical stereo experience courtesy of an LPCM 2.0 option. I'd definitely stick with the surround track, not only because of its immersive capabilities, but simply because it sounds decidedly better balanced and more full bodied. Both Jerry Goldsmith's score and the regular use of ambient environmental effects nicely engage the side and rear channels, and occasional moments of near whirlwind activity, as in the disturbing opening murder scene, have some really fun discrete channelization along with moments of panning. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

Basic Instinct 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K UHD Disc

• Audio Commentary with Director Paul Verhoeven and Cinematographer Jan de Bont


• Audio Commentary with Journalist Camille Paglia


• 1993 Commentary with Director Paul Verhoeven


• Introduction by Sharon Stone (HD; 00:14) somewhat hilariously welcomes the viewer to the DVD of the film.


• 1993 Introduction with Paul Verhoeven (HD; 00:39)


• Basic Instinct: Sex, Death & Stone (HD; 53:11) is a fun new piece with some great interviews with Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone, among others.


• An Unending Story: Scoring Basic Instinct (HD; 16:16) profiles Jerry Goldsmith's contributions to the film.


• A Conversation with Sharon Stone (HD; 12:47) is an archival interview.


• Blonde Poison: The Making of Basic Instinct (HD; 30:05) is an archival piece from 2001 made for Artisan Home Entertainment.


• Cleaning Up Basic Instinct (HD; 5:07) looks at some of the redactions that were required for television broadcast.


• Storyboard Comparisons

Love Scene (HD; 3:21)




Car Chase (HD; 1:18)




Elevator Murder (HD; 2:55)

• Original Screen Tests

Sharon Stone (HD; 5:52)




Jeanne Tripplehorn (HD; 3:02)

• 2021 4K Trailer (HD; 1:29)


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:10)


• Director's Cut Trailer (HD; 2:15)


• TV Spot (HD; 00:32)

1080 Disc 1

• Audio Commentary with Director Paul Verhoeven and Cinematographer Jan de Bont


• Audio Commentary with Journalist Camille Paglia


• 1993 Commentary with Director Paul Verhoeven


• Basic Instinct: Sex, Death & Stone (HD; 53:11)


• An Unending Story: Scoring Basic Instinct (HD; 16:16)


• 2021 4K Trailer (HD; 1:29)

1080 Disc 2

• The Making of Basic Instinct (HD; 6:30) is an archival EPK.


• Inside Basic Instinct (HD; 16:28) is an archival VHS (stop laughing) bonus item.


• Secrets of Basic Instinct (HD; 1:01:38) is an interesting archival laserdisc (stop. . .never mind) bonus item.


• A Conversation with Sharon Stone (HD; 12:47)


• Blonde Poison: The Making of Basic Instinct (HD; 30:05)


• Cleaning Up Basic Instinct (HD; 5:07) l


• Video Scrapbook (HD; 4:32)


• Storyboard Comparisons

Love Scene (HD; 3:21)




Car Chase (HD; 1:18)




Elevator Murder (HD; 2:55)

• Original Screen Tests

Sharon Stone (HD; 5:52)




Jeanne Tripplehorn (HD; 3:02)

• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:10)


• Director's Cut Trailer (HD; 2:15)


• TV Spot (HD; 00:32)

The SteelBook offers a front panel depicting Sharon Stone in her famous interview scene, with a larger depiction of Michael Douglas' face in the background. The back cover offers Stone and Douglas kissing with another version of Stone in the interview smoking. The front and rear panels are rather evocatively colored in purple, yellow and blue tones. The interior panels offer a line drawing of Stone in blue tones. A Mylar O ring offers a kind of reversed image version of Stone in the interview on the front, along with the city skyline in a swath of red. A digital copy is also included.

Basic Instinct 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The fact that in its many home video iterations along the way someone thought to include a commentary by none other than Camille Paglia may indicate just how controversial Basic Instinct was, at least for some. It's kind of fun to revisit the film now in light of all sorts of sociopolitical and sociosexual upheavals. Some of the film's content and depictions may frankly not have aged particularly well, but this release offers noticeably improved technical merits when compared to the now ancient 1080 release from Lionsgate. Supplements are also outstanding, and the SteelBook packaging should appeal to collectors of that format. Recommended.