When the videotape of the murder of a congressman unknowingly ends up in the hands of labor lawyer and dedicated family man Robert Clayton Dean, he is framed for the murder. With the help of the mysterious Brill, Dean attempts to throw the NSA off his trail and prove his innocence.
Where to Watch Enemy of the State
- Scott and SharonSeptember 14, 2026That’s my Blender. If you loved the quiet, creepy tension of The Conversation, you absolutely have to check out its high-speed, high-tech cousin: Tony Scott’s 1998 blockbuster, Enemy of the State. It takes that exact same 1970s paranoia and cranks the volume up to eleven, turning a classic spy story into a breathless, high-stakes chase through Washington, D.C. The movie stars Will Smith as Robert Clayton Dean, a smooth-talking labor lawyer whose perfect life completely vanishes overnight. Out of nowhere, an old acquaintance slips him a disk. Turns out, it holds video evidence of a political assassination ordered by a corrupt NSA boss (Jon Voight). Suddenly, Dean is public enemy number one. The government freezes his bank accounts, bugs his clothes, and tracks him by satellite. On the run and totally out of his depth, his only hope is teaming up with Brill (Gene Hackman)—a reclusive, super-paranoid ex-spy who literally lives inside a homemade metal cage to block wireless signals. What makes this film an absolute blast for movie buffs is how it directly honors The Conversation. Gene Hackman’s character, Brill, is basically an older, grumpier version of Harry Caul! He wears the exact same translucent raincoat, uses the same old-school surveillance tricks, and the movie even uses a real 1974 photo of Hackman from The Conversation as his official government file photo. While Harry Caul showed us the creepy beginnings of audio wiretapping, Brill shows us what happens when technology completely takes over. As Brill puts it, in the modern world, privacy is totally dead. * Awesome Chemistry: Will Smith is fantastic as the panicked everyman just trying to survive, while Gene Hackman brings the perfect amount of gritty, cynical weight to balance things out. * Non-Stop Energy: Director Tony Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer deliver their signature 90s style—think rapid-fire editing, cool cameras, and a frantic pace that never lets you catch your breath. * Spot-On Predictions: Back in 1998, things like satellite tracking, facial recognition, and metadata analysis felt like wild science fiction. Watching it today is wild because it basically predicted our modern digital world. * Stacked Cast: Keep an eye out for a brilliant 90s supporting cast, including Regina King, Lisa Bonet, and early-career appearances from Jack Black and Seth Green! Enemy of the State is peak 90s blockbuster fun. It swaps out the deep psychological dread of The Conversation for massive explosions and gunfire, but it never loses its smarts. It’s an incredibly fun, fast-paced ride that perfectly blends popcorn action with real techno-paranoia.
- angeltreadJune 15, 2026A young Jack Black, Seth Green, and Jake Busey running around as government extreme boys is fun. Gene Hackman makes the movie much better once he shows up which isn’t until almost half way in. Will Smith does nothing for me and really never has, He’s kinda extra boring in this really. Pretty generic conspiracy thriller with the Tony Scott-isms at a pretty low occurrences. But it has moments where the style rears its head. In those times its at least a 90s fun time, some big if not kinda standard faire set pieces.
- Paulo Coelho AlvesMarch 3, 2026Unironically love how half this movie is just Jack Black, Seth Green and Randy from Scream staring at computers in drab generic "high tech" sets.
- ርልዪረDecember 27, 2025People who don't care about government surveillance will find the movie boring. For everyone else it's a paranoid thriller with an important message. Is there any greater power then the ability to spy on anyone at anytime? "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."Exhilarating and entertaining, Enemy of the State is a topical chase thriller that provides the audience with solid escapism and a thought-provoking narrative inspired by Francis Ford Coppola's timeless classic The Conversation.
- Kammus Arturious Magnus MaximusMarch 1, 2026We didn't listen!
- Kent LysellNovember 19, 2025Aproaching Jack Ryan/Tom Clancy action thriller territory with a gripping, twisting plot. For what this pre-2000 film is, there's surprisingly never a dull moment.
- RichardDecember 13, 2025I first saw this one in cinema back in the 90's and it was a perfect big screen thriller for its time. Will Smith is Robert Clayton Dean, a lawyer who suddenly finds himself hunted by the NSA after unknowingly receiving evidence of a political assassination. Gene Hackman joins as the mysterious Brill, giving the film a paranoid edge that echoes The Conversation. On the big screen the kinetic style, rapid cuts, surveillance feeds and relentless pacing, made the chase sequences feel urgent and modern. Will Smith was just breaking into serious roles, balancing charisma with vulnerability, while Hackman brought gravitas as the seasoned spook. It’s a snapshot of the pre‑9/11 surveillance thriller, when the idea of the government watching everything still felt like sci‑fi.
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Enemy of the State was released on November 20, 1998.
Enemy of the State was directed by Tony Scott.
Enemy of the State has a runtime of 2h 12m.
Enemy of the State was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
When the videotape of the murder of a congressman unknowingly ends up in the hands of labor lawyer and dedicated family man Robert Clayton Dean, he is framed for the murder. With the help of the mysterious Brill, Dean attempts to throw the NSA off his trail and prove his innocence.
The key characters in Enemy of the State are Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith), Brill (Gene Hackman), Reynolds (Jon Voight).
Enemy of the State is rated R.
Enemy of the State is an Action, Drama, Thriller film.
Enemy of the State has an audience rating of 7.8 out of 10.
Enemy of the State had a budget of $90M.
Enemy of the State has made $250.6M at the box office.