User reviews

Missed some Interaction and depth. Acting it self was strong.

Vulnerability, manipulation, loneliness, fascination of evil and a not perfect but far to be bad story. A psychologist, a sexual predator behind the bars and a relation giving more its ambiguity than explanations. Good acting, fair accents and good kick to reflect about situations and...instinct. The good point , obvious Carice van Houtten and the special aspect - the relation of Nicoline with her mother.

Starring Carice van Houten (Melisandre on the HBO television series "Game of Thrones") and Marwan Kenzari (Jafar on the 2019 "Aladdin"), "Instinct" has its strengths and weaknesses. The film boasts powerful storyline delving into the complexities of human nature, the dynamics of relationships, and intense drama. Despite the fact that it sometimes resorts to heavy-handed symbolism, leaving some aspects feeling underdeveloped, it raises serious questions about identity and desire. The absence of genuinely honest characters, including a lack of trust even in therapists, is what distinguishes this film, elevating it above its minor flaws.

Yes there is the cliche of the bad boy with a soft side (anyone reading this I also like bunnies/rabbits and I'm available at this very moment) - and then there are even more cliches of women falling for them. No matter their profession, standing in life and/or their respective job.

But this is a bit different - it goes directions you may not expect this to go. Especially the end third is way disturbing on so many different levels. Yet the way the two main characters play it, is more than intriguing - no pun intended. I'm not sure if there are translation issues, I watched it original with subtitles, but I can say that it is a visual movie and one that lives with what the bodies of those involved tell us (do not expect too much nudity or sexual situations). There is one in particula that was quite baffling to me, because it didn't make much sense (a bunny pose from Carice) ... but it is refreshing to see that this is not as predictable as some other movies with similar themes.

Too bad, the dynamic between female therapist and male patient could have been a great set up for a movie. Im a therapist in a forensic setting and could tell you 10 stories that are real and way more interessting. They are completely missing the point in how it works and how it happens that a professional falls for a patient. Shes supposed to be expererienced at her job,but nothing she does makes sense to me, a real therapist

Came to see the film because of the great actors and the exciting trailer. It was actually a nice and easy first half of the film. The acting is really really good. After a while I was wondering: who is more crazy, he or she? Unfortunately their issues stayed a bit on the surface, it was not clear what the origin was. However, their emotional state about it was unmistakable and the acting on point. When the film ended, I was just a bit in shock and left with a lot of questions. But I assume that was how it is meant to be. Overall, a very good movie with some distressing, somewhat creepy elements. Worth watching!!!

I can only hope in reality the people working with these kind of psychopats are more professional. Very unrealistic and annoying characters. Pretentious movie that becomes boring after about 15 minutes.

I saw it in the sneak preview ,it was boring, no good interaction between actors,awfull dull camera work I

Such a pity, the subject requires respectful direction, but that is completely lacking. What a shame and waste of time. You rarely come across a story this far from reality. Good actors cannot save it. Also very bad camerawork, you get bored by it and it. Looks like an amateur movie. Halina Reijn is a fantastic actress but no director. Such a pity, the subject requires respectful direction, but that is completely lacking. What a shame and waste of time. You rarely come across a story this far from reality. Good actors cannot save it. Also very bad camerawork, you get bored by it and it. Looks like an amateur movie. Halina Reijn is a fantastic actress but no director. Such a pity, the subject requires respectful direction, but that is completely lacking. What a shame and waste of time. You rarely come across a story this far from reality. Good actors cannot save it. Also very bad camerawork, you get bored by it and it. Looks like an amateur movie. Halina Reijn is a fantastic actress but no director.

I was fortunate enough to catch this psychological thriller in my big theater, because having international stars Carice van Houten and Marwan Kenzari making time in their undoubtedly busy schedules to appear in a small Dutch movie is certainly a sight to behold on the big screen. I left very satisfied, and at the same time, I understand the comments of people who absolutely didn't get this movie. It's because it is an insight into a human mind with no manual whatsoever. And at the same time, it tackles a subject that we as a society seem to get increasingly uncomfortable with.

This is Halina Reijn's directorial debut, and I find it a solid one. Although I hear criticism that this would be the kind of movie that only Paul Verhoeven could do true justice, I think that Reijn shows great restraint by not playing it safe, and trust her audience's intelligence. That some scene may be enigmatic and some character decisions seem to be questionable only makes it more fascinating in my experience. It certainly helps if you can enjoy character drama rather than a straightly-plotted thriller with a mandatory twist.

Far away from the big budgets and fantasy settings, van Houten and Kenzari visibly enjoy a smaller and technologically less complex project, for which they need their primary acting tools more than ever, and with success. Kenzari seems to effortlessly move between menacing and sympathetic, and van Houten displays such a repertoire of facial expressions that this may earn her a sixth Golden Calf at the Dutch Film Festival.

A psychological evaluation is the battleground of an intricate cat-and-mouse game between sex offender Idris (Kenzari) and psychiatrist Nicoline (van Houten). Idriss is charming and even sexy, but also extremely manipulative, and it is pretty clear that Nicoline is a psychologically scarred lady, something the movie hints to heavily without obligatory flashbacks or expository dialogue. I loved her struggle between the professional persona that she keeps up, and her almost animalistic side that comes out when she loses control. Her ratio and instinct are in a near-continuous battle, and while she is trying to resist Idris' attempts to destabilize her, it isn't always clear which side has the upper hand. Sometimes Reijn seems to take things a bit to far, with surrealistic scenes that miss their mark, but it is nice to see that the movie keeps up the ambiguity up to and including the end.

Seeing this movie on the big screen also reveals a lot about ourselves. The scenes of a sexual nature frequently elucidated nervous laughs from the audience, and comments of unrealistic character decisions afterwards. The movie makes a valiant attempt to dive into the complexity of female sexuality, which is something that society has always struggled with, especially now in the wake of the #metoo discussion. And I think it is something that should be debatable, unless we want to turn back the clock on 50 years of sexual liberation. After all, we are at the point where even Dutch movies resort to sex scenes where people keep their underwear on, and social media are systematically shaming people who feel too comfortable with their bodies or sexuality. We should embrace our human needs, not ignore them.

This film will divide the audience, but that also happened with most of Verhoeven's movies, some of which are considered classics now. Time will tell if Instinct has the same staying power, but for now, the cast and crew have made a very effective thriller about our dark human necessities. This should be the start of more open debate and less uneasy silence. And hopefully an impulse for Halina Reijn to make more movies.

Weird movie with a really weird story. The ending was stupid.

But a very strange story. Carice is great but here Translation half of the movie is absurd.

This movie is a waste of time.

Bad plot, acting en not good to watch.

Don't know why this had a 6.2 but maximum a 1 for the waste of time.

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This film is one of the 2020 filmbox of de Volkskrant. Out of 11 films this movie is rated by us at the lowest point 5. Bad audibly sound - for us - and a not realistic plot, poor dialogues and indeed a predictable end. However we enjoyed the wide shots which is in favour of our overview. Acting must have been difficult with such a screenplay to follow.

There is no way anyone will believe she is a real psychologist. Also, her character makes no sense whatsoever. It's more like a music video, since it could have been portrayed within 5 minutes. Also, it is just plain irresponsible to make another movie like this (there are countless already) in a time where rape culture and victim blaming should be talk of the day.

The movie is annoyingly unrealistic and desperately slow. It's not even sexy or thrilling. Waste of time.

The movie is annoyingly unrealistic and desperately slow. It's not even sexy or thrilling. Waste of time.

The movie is annoyingly unrealistic and desperately slow. It's not even sexy or thrilling. Waste of time.

An absolute waste of time, offering nothing in terms of a coherent plot or meaningful events. It's a film where absolutely nothing of substance happens; instead, it's filled with scenes of blatant whoring around that would be far more appropriate in a low-grade pornographic film than in anything pretending to be a legitimate movie. The female director, who clearly lacks any real talent, fails miserably at creating anything worthwhile. The camera work is poorly executed, contributing to the overall feeling of an amateurish and tedious production that lacks any professional quality. The entire film exudes the vibe of a cheap, backyard porn flick, with its poorly handled cinematography and complete lack of direction.

I think it was a pretty good movie. The acting was so nice to watch and Carice is very beautiful. The ending was very unsetisfying and leaves a lot of questions open. Some parts of the story line are also quite vague. Overall the story line was good and the movie in itself wasn't bad either.