Instinct is a psychological thriller film released in 1999, directed by Jon Turteltaub. The story revolves around a highly respected anthropologist, Ethan Powell, who kills two poachers while conducting a research project on gorillas in Rwanda. He is charged with murder and is sent to prison for the criminally insane.
Theo Caulder, an ambitious young psychiatrist, begins to study Powell in an effort to understand the root of his seemingly insane actions. Powell is initially unresponsive, muttering only in Swahili, the language he had learned while studying gorillas. But Theo persists in his attempts to reach Powell, who slowly begins to open up to him.
We learn that Powell had lived with a gorilla family for two years, adopting their behavior and communication techniques. He believes that humans, like gorillas, are violent animals at their core, and that the only way to truly understand our nature is to live among them.
As their relationship grows stronger, Powell begins to manipulate Theo, causing him to question his own values and beliefs. But when he discovers that Powell may be planning an escape, Theo must choose between staying true to his profession and his own life or risking everything to protect Powell and preserve his newfound philosophy.
Starring Anthony Hopkins as Ethan Powell and Cuba Gooding Jr. as Theo Caulder, Instinct is a thought-provoking exploration of human nature, obsession, and madness.