Enemy Movie Review (2013)

An intense thriller with a gradual build, Enemy, about a teacher who discovers that he has a doppelganger with an entirely different life, leaves a lot of room for interpretation.

I am a huge fan of Denis Villeneuve as a director. Incendies and Arrival are two of my absolute favorite films, and, while I couldn’t totally get into Dune as a concept, I have great appreciation for his work on those too. I have now watched about half of his movies, and this one has been on my list for awhile, so I was very excited to dive in.

Enemy is about Adam Bell, a history professor, who lives a life of monotony. He has an apartment and a girlfriend, but between work and his personal life, not much changes. Stepping out of the usual by watching a movie, he suddenly sees that one of the actors looks just like him. He investigates and calls actor, Anthony Claire, whose wife answers the phone. Eventually, the two men come face to face.

As with all of Villeneuve’s films, he has a way of setting a tone and maintaining or heightening the pressure over the course of the piece. By the end, you’re just glad that your eyes didn’t pop out from the squeeze.

Jake Gyllenhaal is excellent as both Adam and Anthony, and I have to shout out Sarah Gadon, as Anthony’s wife. She is very much the emotion of the film, and as a bystander witnessing everything that happens (and what she imagines is happening when she is not there), she is the one the audience most connects with.

This is not an inviting movie, as there is a bleak yellow haze over almost everything the entire time. You are not meant to get comfortable or settle in, just as no one in the movie seems to be able to either.

When you finish watching Enemy, you will have a lot of questions, as did I. This is the type of movie that you need to discuss and read about afterward, and, in addition to talking about it with me, your friends, or reading Reddit posts, I highly suggest this post by Chris at Film Colossus. DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK BEFORE WATCHING, AS IT CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS. Enemy spoilers and explanations.

Enemy is a twisted story that will have you processing for a while, but it is much easier when you do it with friends. Take a watch and then see what everyone around you thinks, in person or online. This one takes a village.

Runtime: 90 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: R

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? Nope

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Available: Free on Max and Hulu, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms