Instinct (2019)

In spite of her expertise and experience, a seasoned psychologist is completely infatuated by the sex offender she is treating in a penal institution.

Director:

Halina Reijn

Writers:

Esther Gerritsen (screenplay by), Halina Reijn (story)

Stars:

Carice van Houten, Marwan Kenzari, Marie-Mae van Zuilen

5 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Carice van Houten	...	Nicoline
Marwan Kenzari	...	Idris
Marie-Mae van Zuilen	...	Marieke
Pieter Embrechts	...	Alex
Ariane Schluter	...	Directrice
Betty Schuurman	...	Mother Nicoline
Abdelkarim El Baz	...	Tarik
Tamar van den Dop	...	Milly
Robert de Hoog	...	Jos
Kuno Bakker	...	John
Juda Goslinga	...	Kees
Barry Emond	...	Kenny
Akwasi Owusu-Ansah	...	Wilfred
Maria Kraakman	...	Paula
Matijs Jansen	...	Dave

Storyline

Nicoline, an experienced psychologist, starts a new job at a penal institution, despite the fact that she resolved to never return to psychiatry. She meets Idris, an intelligent man with an anti-social, narcissistic personality disorder, who committed a series of grave sexual offenses. After five years of treatment, he is about to go on his first unaccompanied probation. His team of practitioners are enthusiastic about his development and behavior, but newcomer Nicoline does not trust him an inch. She tries to push his probation to the astonishment of her coworkers. Idris tries his hardest to convince Nicoline of his good intentions, but as she remains sceptical, he slowly but surely grows violent. He transforms into the manipulative man Nicoline saw in him from the beginning. A power play emerges between the two and Nicoline, in spite of her knowledge and experience, lets herself be trapped completely.

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Plot Keywords:

sexual assault | sexual abuse | doctor patient relationship | psychiatrist | therapist | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Carice Van Houten said working on Game of Thrones (2011) turned her off of filming nude scenes and refuses to do them anymore, especially in the wake of the #MeToo movement. She told Insider that she's brought the lesson she learned to her other projects, including Instinct. She said she and director Halina Reijn made it into a dogma where they are done with nudity. "We don't need to show nudity to create intimacy, we don't need to see breasts."

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Connections

Featured in Grolsch Gouden Kalveren Gala (2020)

User Reviews

Magnificent play of the most actors

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

Details

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch

Release Date:

3 October 2019 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Instinct

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$946,056

Company Credits

Production Co:

Topkapi Films, Man Up Productions, BNN-VARA

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1