Enemy
Directed by Denis VilleneuveA professor discovers a man who appears to be his double. The lives of the identical men become bizarrely intertwined, but only one man can survive.
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Enemy Ratings & Reviews
- jackmeatNovember 5, 2025My quick rating - 6.5/10. This one sat on my watchlist for far too long, but I finally decided it was time to see what all the quiet confusion was about. Enemy, directed by Denis Villeneuve (long before he took us to Arrakis with Dune), is an eerie, slow-burning psychological mystery that’s as fascinating as it is frustrating. Jake Gyllenhaal takes on double duty as Adam, a mild-mannered college professor, and Anthony, a confident, womanizing actor. The discovery of his exact double sends Adam spiraling into a surreal obsession that blurs the line between reality and delusion. Gyllenhaal nails both performances—subtle and haunted as Adam, arrogant and unpredictable as Anthony. He’s the kind of actor who thrives on internal chaos, and Villeneuve gives him the perfect playground here. Unfortunately, it takes forever to get to that playground. The first act feels like watching beige paint dry. The only problem is that some of the pieces of the puzzle are in this first act. We get it—Adam’s life is monotonous, colorless, and void of meaning. But we didn’t need fifteen minutes of that point being hammered home. Once the movie finally starts unraveling its weirdness, though, it’s hypnotic. Villeneuve builds a sense of paranoia that makes even the most mundane cityscape feel alien. The brutal architecture, the dusty lighting, and the ever-present haze of yellow-gray tint all work to keep you off balance. The film’s atmosphere is dreamlike, or maybe more accurately, nightmare-like. Every choice feels intentional: the claustrophobic apartment buildings, the unsettling music, the way conversations never quite sound natural. It all suggests a world on the edge of reality. And then there’s the recurring spider motif—creeping through dreams, symbolism, and maybe Adam’s own subconscious. I have my theory about what it means, but that’s a spoiler rabbit hole best left un-dug. Let’s just say it’s not here to make you feel cozy. Based on the novel The Double by Nobel Prize winner José Saramago, Enemy is loaded with metaphor. But Villeneuve doesn’t hand you the answers. It’s one of those films that wants you to do the homework. If you pay full attention and allow yourself to interpret it, you’ll find plenty to chew on. If you half-watch it while scrolling your phone, you’ll probably wonder why you wasted your evening. It’s not a film that invites you in. The characters are cold, detached, and often unlikeable. The tone is grim and unyielding. But that’s also part of its power—it makes you uncomfortable and forces you to look for meaning in the unease. Enemy isn’t easy to like, but it sticks with you long after the credits (and that final, infamous shot) roll.
- FRANZ DOREZAMarch 21, 2025So the other review states that he fell asleep within the first five minutes… Really? Within the first couple minutes, a woman is masturbating on a chair in front of a large group of men in a dark and mysterious small theatre type setting, and then they bring out a tray with a silver dome and underneath that is a large spider…that crawls out.."Chaos is order undeciphered"… Don't you hate it when people complain about the first five minutes of a movie because nothing happens?? And then they miss out on something like this… Please don't listen to reviews like that. They can't seem to watch any movie that takes longer than three minutes Until they see some action or drop of blood… Why bother watching films at all? I found this to be really interesting, dark, mysterious, a slower pace does not mean, boring… Especially if you truly enjoy strange films,, film noir, slightly disjointed and disturbing etc..my kind of cinema..
- makdelartOctober 29, 2025A disturbing psychological puzzle. Once you solve it, you will appreciate it.
- SpanktacularJuly 18, 2025A slow-burn gorgeous film that demands an immediate re-watch. I didn't understand it, but I definitely enjoyed it.
- Glenn MainaJuly 15, 2025This movie messed me up in the best way. Denis Villeneuve’s Enemy wasn’t just a film — it was a psychological experience. It made me anxious, confused, sad, fascinated... all at once. I watched it, paused it halfway, processed it, and still couldn’t stop thinking about it. I love Jake Gyllenhaal, and maybe that’s why seeing him like this hit even harder — something about him felt off the entire time. The movie had this eerie emotional weight. Something was wrong — but it never tells you what. It just makes you feel it.
- Eric WidderJune 28, 2025Big Jake G fan and big Denis Villeneuve but this movie sucked. I understood the themes being portrayed here but I'm sick of movies with underlying themes. Just give me a damn movie. If I wanted philosophy I'd seek out the reading material myself. The film is dark (as in I can't see shit) and confusing. The pace was "creepily" slow and the ending was retarded. Everything you wanted to happen in the film didn't happen, and none of the questions you had were answered. I want my 2 hours back.
- smiley2000June 20, 2025Enemy is, hands down, one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. It’s not just confusing—it’s weird for the sake of being weird, and not in a clever or thought-provoking way. The plot is painfully slow, the atmosphere is dreary, and the ending leaves you more frustrated than intrigued. I kept waiting for something—anything—to make sense or tie it all together, but instead it spiraled into nonsense.
- ghost seeker XIIIMarch 24, 2025Interesting especially knowing that he battled with his psychological problems and But I dont want to spoil it for Gyllenhaal fans Pay attention closely to understand the ending
- gamegye8February 8, 2025A mindfuck man
- AngusMcNutzDecember 26, 2024Surrealist character study or contrived underground blur? Either way, it's a bold attempt from Villeneuve to break into something different. Not sure if it works entirely but it certainly will stick with you.
Enemy Trivia
Enemy was released on September 8, 2013.
Enemy was directed by Denis Villeneuve.
Enemy has a runtime of 1 hr 31 min.
Enemy was produced by Miguel A. Faura, Niv Fichman.
The key characters in Enemy are Adam / Anthony (Jake Gyllenhaal), Mary (Mélanie Laurent), Helen (Sarah Gadon).
Enemy is rated R.
Enemy is a Drama, Thriller, Mystery film.
Enemy has an audience rating of 6.4 out of 10.