Instinct

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Instinct

R

1999

2h 3m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

27%

Tomatometer

63 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Years after he goes missing in the jungles of Africa, anthropologist Ethan Powell (Anthony Hopkins) resurfaces when it's discovered that he has murdered two poachers who were killing the gorillas he was studying. After spending an extended time living with the primates and without any human contact, Powell seems to be unhinged, and psychiatrist Theo Caulder (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is called in to try to get through to the withdrawn and angry man -- who may be wiser and saner than he appears.

Critics Consensus

A convoluted and predictable plot overshadows the performances.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

01/01/2000

1.5/4

If there's anything worse than a movie hammered together out of pieces of bad screenplays, it's a movie made from the scraps of good ones.

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Bob Graham

San Francisco Chronicle

01/01/2000

2/4

Instinct is the second one in a row that Gooding lifts out of mediocrity by the sheer force of his talent, intelligence and personality.

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

01/01/2000

D

Instinct" is a marketing hook attempting to pass itself off as a movie.

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Joe Lozito

Big Picture Big Sound

12/27/2007

2/4

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

09/24/2007

F

Yet another spiritual weepie that decries human follies and yet puts a happy face on it all.

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Film Threat

12/06/2005

1.5/5

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Genghisruns amok T

@Lopez11 Apr 2

Predictable feel good movie with ridiculous soaring music throughout.

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Joan F.

@Twinkletoes Mar 5

Loved it, but hey Cuba and Anthony? Why ever not?

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Rita E

@RT30678761 06/16/2025

I liked this movie. The acting is superb. It’s thought provoking. Some moments had me laughing while others had me in tears.

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AJ T

@RT11228652 01/12/2025

Fantastic and very suspenseful movie!! I loved this movie!!

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Tomaz B

@TheBizii 01/03/2025

A good movie that gave me some food for thought about the way we perceive life, society and the world around us. Anthony Hopkins did a great acting job as Dr. Ethan Powell and I admit he's the reason I kept watching the movie. I felt like this movie was rather slow at times and I expected it to be more on the thriller/horror side of the movies, but it is good nonetheless. I'll probably forget about the movie as it wasn't that memorable, but I still had a good time watching it.

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Frank F

@RT17599830 12/28/2024

One of the best movies of all time.

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Jon Turteltaub

Director

Anthony Hopkins

Ethan Powell

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Theo Caulder

Donald Sutherland

Ben Hillard

Maura Tierney

Lynn Powell

George Dzundza

Dr. John Murray

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Synopsis

Years after he goes missing in the jungles of Africa, anthropologist Ethan Powell (Anthony Hopkins) resurfaces when it's discovered that he has murdered two poachers who were killing the gorillas he was studying. After spending an extended time living with the primates and without any human contact, Powell seems to be unhinged, and psychiatrist Theo Caulder (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is called in to try to get through to the withdrawn and angry man -- who may be wiser and saner than he appears.

Director: Jon Turteltaub
Producer: Barbara Boyle, Michael Taylor, Hunt Lowry
Screenwriter: Gerald Di Pego, Gerald Di Pego
Distributor: Buena Vista International [us], Toho Company Ltd., Filmes Lusomundo, Aurum Producciones S.A. [es], Gaumont [fr], Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 4, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 27, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $34.1M
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)