Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- earnest
- philosophical
- thoughtful movie night
- psychological drama marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the performances and direction solid but judged the film's convoluted, predictable plot to overshadow them.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Theo Caulder begins by studying Ethan Powell as a psychiatric case but is progressively changed by Ethan's testimony and philosophy.
Ethan's life with gorillas challenges the prison, psychiatric, and anthropological systems that seek to classify and control him.
Ethan is held in a Florida mental institution where guards, doctors, and inmates shape the film's central power struggle.
The African gorilla experience is set against the restrictive spaces and routines of the Florida institution.
Films like Instinct, and why
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Shared prison setting, psychological investigation, institutional power dynamics, and a transformative relationship between an incarcerated man and an outsider.
The Green Mile
Shared moral conflict between institutional authority and a seemingly dangerous outsider whose worldview challenges conventional ideas of sanity and freedom.
The Sixth Sense
Shared psychological drama centered on a difficult patient, a skeptical clinician, and a gradual revelation that reshapes the investigator's understanding of human behavior.
Gorillas in the Mist
Shared anthropological themes, wilderness isolation, animal rights concerns, and conflict between modern civilization and a more instinctive way of life.
Movie Details
- Director
- Jon Turteltaub
- Release Date
- 1999-06-04
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (684)
Cast
- Anthony Hopkins
- Cuba Gooding Jr.
- Donald Sutherland
- Maura Tierney
- George Dzundza
- John Ashton
- John Aylward
- Doug Spinuzza
- Thomas Q. Morris
- Vivienne Sendaydiego
Where to watch in United States
- Buy
- Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Instinct about?
- A jailed anthropologist’s bond with gorillas forces a young psychiatrist to question the boundaries between sanity, civilization, and freedom.
- What is Instinct like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Instinct as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Instinct violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Instinct as moderate.
- What did critics think of Instinct?
- Critics broadly found the performances and direction solid but judged the film's convoluted, predictable plot to overshadow them.
- Which films are like Instinct?
- Films with a similar feel include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Green Mile, The Sixth Sense, and Gorillas in the Mist.
- How long is Instinct?
- Instinct runs 124 minutes.
- Where can I watch Instinct?
- In United States, Instinct is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store.
