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Revisiting the Ending of Denis Villeneuve’s Enemy , Spiders and All

Ever watched the end of a movie and thought, “I have no idea what I just watched?” Vulture is here for you! We’ll be going back and taking a look at some notable endings in film, trying to explain what happened, why, and what it all really means. Previously in this series, we covered the ending of Donnie Darko .

When Enemy came out in 2014, Denis Villeneuve was in between phases. He’d just done Prisoners , the project that marked his transition from the critically revered Canadian films Polytechnique and Incendies into Hollywood proper, but he had yet to make Sicario and Arrival , the two movies that would solidify him as one of the best directors currently working.

In a certain sense, Enemy , a loose adaptation of José Saramago’s The Double , is an excellent harbinger of what Villeneuve had on deck. Like Sicario and Arrival , Enemy is a saturated film, every moment practically dripping with suggestion; in the case of Enemy , that suggestion is of menace, danger, and calamity inching ever closer, frame by frame. Villeneuve is a master of mise-en-scène, and in Enemy , just as much as the two later movies he’d be lauded for, there’s an incredible consistency and intensity to his vision. From the brutalist architecture of the University of Toronto Scarsborough campus to the crisscrossing wires of the streetcars to the sepia-heavy color schemes to the camera, which dollies beautifully through the entire film, every element in front of Villeneuve’s lens helps build a sense of dread and foreboding.

By this point, if you know anything about Enemy , you’re like, “Cool, we get it, Villeneuve’s good — but what about the spiders?” We’ll get there. But it’s important to establish the context for this incredibly bizarre movie, a movie that would be strange had it been made by the most Lynchian of independent filmmakers, but is even stranger coming from a guy who’s since been entrusted with the reins of a franchise .

Enemy is about a man, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. His name is Adam Bell, and he teaches history, and he looks really bummed out. Something isn’t sitting right with this guy. He moves through the world like it’s about to eat him, shoulders hunched and face hangdog, and even the fact that he has a beautiful sorta-girlfriend, Mary, played by Melanie Laurent, seems more like a burden than a source of joy. Maybe it’s what he’s teaching — dense theory, Hegel and Marx, the patterns of history and the relationship of dictators to control; maybe it’s the weird spider-party we see him at in the first scene, filled with a bunch of guys who look like they’re enjoying the entertainment way too much. What are they watching? Well, it appears to be a woman masturbating, and then another woman stepping on a tarantula with a high heel. You could see how that would take a toll on even the most cheerful of men, and something about Adam’s vibe gives the sense that he’s never been Mr. Sunshine.

But wait: Is it Adam at the spider party? Because soon after we meet him, a colleague suggests he watch a film called Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way . (Adam’s first response is, “I don’t really like movies.” Fun guy!) When Adam checks it out, he discovers that there’s an actor in it who looks exactly like him. And by exactly like him, I don’t mean they look exactly alike like your mom thinks you look exactly like Tom Cruise: I mean they both have the good fortune to be played by Jake Gyllenhaal. A little sleuthing by Adam reveals that this guy is an actor who goes by the alias Daniel Saint-Clare but is in fact named Anthony Clare, and he has a very pregnant wife, Helen, played by the superb Sarah Gadon.

The rest of the film unfolds as follows: Adam introduces himself to Anthony; Anthony tells him to fuck off, then decides that, actually, they should meet; Anthony blackmails Adam into letting him take Mary on a romantic getaway, where he has sex with her in a motel; Adam goes to Anthony’s apartment, where he pretends to be Anthony and has sex with his wife, only, in this case, it’s Helen who initiates it, knowing that he isn’t her husband; Mary then realizes that Anthony isn’t Adam, demands that they leave, and on the way home, they get in a car crash and die; and then Adam walks into Anthony’s bedroom to find that Helen has transformed into a giant spider. Fin .

So! This terrific, elliptical film, one of the best and most underrated of the last few years, leaves us with two fundamental mysteries: Who are Adam and Anthony? And what’s the deal with all the spiders?

Who are Adam and Anthony?

Let’s start with what we do know: Adam and Anthony are two different people, at least to some extent. At multiple points, the film just avoids confirming this for us. When Helen calls Anthony after encountering Adam at the his work, he picks up just as Adam disappears into a building. Adam and Anthony appear together twice, but only by themselves, with no witnesses. When Anthony talks to Helen on the phone, Adam isn’t home. (Adam talks to Anthony again when Helen is around, but that time, she doesn’t speak to him — and moreover, she accuses Anthony of lying about whom he was talking to.) Because of all this, there’s the slightest possibility that somehow, one man could be living a bifurcated life. We don’t really know how Anthony spends his days while Adam’s at school, and Adam’s relationship with Mary seems to be somehow irregular or inconsistent, dovetailing with the general sense that Anthony’s had an affair before.

But the major sign that the two men exist separately comes when Mary notices a mark on Anthony’s finger from his wedding ring, which he’d taken off before going to see her. That mark is significant: It’s what leads to the fight with Mary that culminates in their deaths, an event that also appears to be confirmed as real based on a report on the radio the next morning. (Although apart from the ring thing, you could make a strong argument that Adam could’ve projected his own vision onto that event, turning it into the death of Anthony, a creation of his psyche.) If Anthony’s finger bears that mark, and she’s just noticing it for the first time, that means Anthony and Adam are different people. However, it’s hard to tell just when they became separate people. Both share the same scar on their chest; short of the two of them having been identically maimed early in their lives, that scar indicates some kind of shared life.

Here’s where things get weird. Adam’s name is noteworthy; you might remember that, in the Book of Genesis, Adam, the first man, was created in the likeness of God. God then took a rib from Adam and using it made Eve. Adam and Anthony’s scars are on their rib cage.

Following this train of thought, we might hypothesize that at some point, Anthony was made from Adam, fully formed but subtly different, and the two then went about separate lives: one meek and self-conscious, the other cocky and volatile. While this is, obviously, not a scientific or verifiable explanation, art doesn’t have to be scientific or verifiable, thank God. This interpretation gains some added credibility from the sense that they seem to share a mother. When Adam goes to see his mother, she believes he likes blueberries, which he denies; meanwhile, Anthony gives Helen an entire lecture on blueberries, particularly organic ones, and the importance of having them around for his smoothies. (That also gives a pretty good sense of what Anthony’s like as a dude.) His mother references his “nice apartment,” a term that could not in good conscience be applied to the place where Adam lives — Anthony confirms as much when he visits, calling it, if I remember correctly, “a shithole” — but would accurately describe Anthony’s place. She also mentions that he can’t commit to one woman, even though both Adam and Anthony appear to be in relationships, and references his acting career, which she wouldn’t know about unless she was just really into local Canadian cinema — or he, Anthony, told her.

In conclusion: Adam and Anthony are different, but seem to have sprung from the same being. Based on the names and the movie’s point of view, Adam would be the best guess for who came first, but hey: Only Isabella Rossellini knows for sure.

What’s the deal with all the spiders?

Oh, man. This nut’s a little harder to crack, but let’s give it a try. Spiders, namely tarantulas, appear in a few different scenes. In the opening, either Adam or Anthony (more on that in a sec) visits the aforementioned sex dungeon/zoological society, where a woman in a high heel is poised to crush a tarantula while Adam/Anthony looks on through his fingers. Two more dreamlike images follow. In one, a naked woman walks down a hallway past Adam/Anthony, her head replaced by an arachnoid head; and in the other, enormous spiders straddle Toronto, looking like a Canadian War of the Worlds . Both of these could be explained away as dreams, but then in the final shot, Adam walks into the room Helen just entered to find an enormous tarantula huddled in the corner.

The spiders, then, feel less like a literal function of the plot and more like an overarching metaphor. In an interview with Gyllenhaal and Villeneuve that plays after the credits on Amazon Prime, the director said this about the spiders:

“To be honest with you, it’s not in the book, it’s not in the novel, and I’m not sure if Saramago would’ve been happy with the idea of having something that is so surrealistic in his naturalistic environment that he created in the novel. It’s an image that I found that was a pretty hypnotic and profound [way] to express something about femininity that I was looking to express in one image. Because in the book you can use chapters to express something, but in cinema you have one shot, and the spider was exactly the perfect image. There’s movies that I saw in my life that propose images that were not explained, but were provocative, that were opening doors from a subconscious point of view — images that are frightening and oppressive, but at the same time, you feel the image. It prints itself in your brain, but you feel uncomfortable with it. But there’s a strong meaning in it, and I think that if you think just a little bit you will find it quite quickly.”

If you found it quickly, then good for you: You are Jake Gyllenhaal. If not, don’t feel too bad. My instinct is to approach it surrealistically, as Villeneuve suggests. In Enemy , the spiders mostly appear in dreams, or in dreamlike scenarios, suggesting a Jungian approach to their interpretation. On the one hand, spiders are frightening and dangerous; on the other, they have a direct connection to femininity. In the Arachne myth, which Ovid recounts in Metamorphoses , Arachne beats Athena in a weaving contest, but doesn’t acknowledge that she was able to win thanks to the gift of weaving that Athena gave her in the first place. (One of the many lessons of Greek mythology: Be grateful to the gods, or they will mess you up.) Athena strikes Arachne with intense guilt, which causes her to hang herself. When Athena sees her dead body, she feels a little bad about causing the girl’s suicide just because she lost a weaving contest, so she turns Arachne into a spider, allowing her to weave for all eternity — just not as a human.

Helen’s transformation into a spider, then, has precedent. But Enemy doesn’t contain any weaving contests, unless the DVD’s got some deleted scenes. Instead, the spider connection seems to stem from a different system of thought: the Freudian Madonna-whore complex, in which men see women as either saintly mothers or worthless sex objects. The spiders are implicated early on in the film in some sort of sexual rite, and when Helen, a pregnant woman, turns into the spider after having sex with Adam — shortly after Anthony cheats on his pregnant wife with Mary — it could be seen as a literalization of Adam’s disturbed psyche, which can’t handle intimate relationships. Enemy appears to say that even though Adam has done away with Anthony — and Mary, an innocent bystander who represents some sort of purely sexual relationship, in the process — he still has a ways to go before he can reconcile these two facets of womanhood. And note the names: Mary, the mother of Christ; and Helen, the catalyst for the Trojan War. There’s also a motif around high heels, an obvious feminine symbol: Adam and Anthony each notice Helen and Mary’s heels at separate points in the film, and the platform heels used to crush the spider at the beginning are, uh, hard to miss.

A film that handles ambiguity and symbolism so deftly, while still providing the more concrete thrills of watching a great actor and great director do adventurous, striking work, is a rare and special thing, and that’s why Enemy ’s so brilliant: It can support these readings while still not giving itself away. Although arachnophobes might want to sit this one out.

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Exploring the Mind-Bending World of Enemy, Review & Explained

Enemy is a psychological thriller film directed by Denis Villeneuve, based on the novel “The Double” by José Saramago. The movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal in a dual role, along with Mélanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon, and Isabella Rossellini in supporting roles. The movie explores the themes of duality, identity, and the subconscious, and has gained critical acclaim for its intriguing plot, stunning visuals, and excellent performances.

The movie follows the story of Adam Bell, a university professor who discovers that he has a doppelganger living in the same city as him. As Adam becomes increasingly obsessed with his double, his life starts to spiral out of control, leading to a shocking and surreal climax.

Enemy has gained a cult following since its release in 2013 and has been the subject of many critical interpretations and analyses. In this article, we will delve deeper into the movie’s plot, themes, motifs, characters, cinematography, and sound design to understand what makes it such a compelling and intriguing piece of cinema.

Plot Summary

Enemy movie meaning,themes and motifs, symbolism in movie enemy, reception and impact, enemy movie explained, enemy movie ending.

In Enemy, we are introduced to Adam Bell, a history professor living in Toronto, Canada. He leads a monotonous and uneventful life until one day, a colleague recommends a movie to him. As Adam watches the film, he notices that one of the extras looks exactly like him. This realization leads him on a quest to find his doppelganger, which he eventually does.

The doppelganger, who goes by the name Anthony Clair, is a struggling actor who is also in a troubled relationship with his pregnant wife, Helen. As Adam and Anthony’s lives become increasingly intertwined, they start to mirror each other’s behavior and choices, leading to a surreal and shocking climax.

Here is a brief summary of the plot:

Adam Bell is a history professor living in Toronto.
A colleague recommends a movie to him, which leads him to discover his doppelganger.
Adam tracks down his doppelganger, Anthony Clair, and they meet.
Adam becomes increasingly obsessed with Anthony, and they start to mirror each other’s behavior.
Anthony’s wife, Helen, discovers Adam’s existence and confronts him.
Adam and Anthony switch places, with Adam pretending to be Anthony and vice versa.
The climax of the movie involves a surreal and shocking revelation about the true nature of Adam and Anthony’s relationship.

Enemy explores several themes and motifs that are central to the movie’s plot and narrative. These include:

Duality: The movie’s primary theme is duality, which is represented through the doppelganger motif. Adam and Anthony represent the two sides of the same person, with Adam embodying the intellectual and reserved side, and Anthony embodying the impulsive and emotional side. The duality theme is also explored through other elements in the movie, such as the repeated use of mirrors and reflections.
Identity: The movie also explores the theme of identity, as both Adam and Anthony struggle with their sense of self. Adam is initially a passive and unremarkable character, who becomes increasingly obsessed with Anthony, a more confident and assertive version of himself. Anthony, on the other hand, is unhappy with his life and seeks validation through his relationship with Adam. The movie questions whether identity is fixed or malleable, and whether we can truly know ourselves.
Subconscious: The subconscious is another important theme in the movie, as many of the events in the movie are surreal and dream-like. The movie blurs the line between reality and imagination, with many scenes being open to interpretation. This creates a sense of unease and uncertainty for the audience, who are never quite sure what is real and what is not.
Control: The movie also explores the theme of control, as both Adam and Anthony struggle to control their lives and their relationships. The movie suggests that we are not always in control of our own destinies, and that external forces can shape our lives in unexpected ways.

Overall, the themes and motifs in Enemy are complex and interwoven, contributing to the movie’s sense of mystery and intrigue. The movie invites the audience to question their own sense of self and reality, and to consider the deeper meanings behind the events on screen.

Identification and analysis of symbols in the movie:

Enemy is full of symbolism and metaphor, which add layers of meaning and complexity to the movie. Here are some of the key symbols in the movie, and their analysis:

Spiders: Spiders are a recurring motif throughout the movie, and represent the web of connections between Adam and Anthony. Spiders are also associated with the subconscious, as they represent the hidden and instinctual parts of the psyche.
Mirrors: Mirrors are another important symbol in the movie, and represent the duality and self-reflection themes. Mirrors are often used to show Adam and Anthony together, but also represent the idea of the self as a reflection of the external world.
Control: Control is a key theme in the movie, and is represented through several symbols, such as the spider and the key. The spider represents the idea of being trapped or controlled, while the key represents the possibility of unlocking new possibilities.

Discussion of their significance and meaning:

The symbols in Enemy add depth and complexity to the movie, and help to convey its themes and motifs. Here are some of the key ideas and meanings associated with the symbols:

Connection: The spider symbol represents the idea that Adam and Anthony are connected, and that their lives are intertwined in unexpected ways.
Reflection: The mirror symbol represents the idea that the self is a reflection of the external world, and that our identities are shaped by our environment and experiences.
Control: The control symbols represent the idea that we are not always in control of our own destinies, and that external forces can shape our lives in unexpected ways.

Review of the critical reception of the movie:

Enemy was generally well-received by critics, who praised its stylish visuals, haunting soundtrack, and powerful performances. However, some critics found the movie to be too abstract and confusing, and criticized its lack of narrative clarity. Overall, the movie has a 72% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and has been praised for its innovative storytelling and thematic depth.

Discussion of the movie’s impact on the film industry:

Although Enemy did not have a major impact on the film industry, it did garner attention for its innovative storytelling and visual style. The movie has been cited as an example of how indie filmmakers can use innovative techniques to create engaging and thought-provoking films. The movie has also inspired a number of fan theories and interpretations, and has developed a cult following among cinephiles.

Examination of the movie’s legacy:

Although Enemy was not a commercial success, it has developed a strong legacy in the years since its release. The movie has inspired a number of fan theories and interpretations, and has been the subject of numerous articles, podcasts, and video essays. The movie has also helped to solidify director Denis Villeneuve’s reputation as a visionary filmmaker, and has become a key part of his filmography. Overall, Enemy has left a lasting impression on the world of cinema, and continues to be studied and appreciated by film enthusiasts.

Enemy is a psychological thriller that explores the themes of duality, identity, and control. The movie follows the story of Adam Bell, a college professor who discovers that he has a doppelganger named Anthony Claire. As Adam delves deeper into Anthony’s life, he becomes increasingly obsessed with the man, and begins to lose touch with his own sense of identity.

The movie is full of symbolism and metaphor, which add layers of meaning and complexity to the story. For example, the spider motif represents the web of connections between Adam and Anthony, and the hidden and instinctual parts of the psyche. The mirror motif represents the duality and self-reflection themes, and the idea that the self is a reflection of the external world.

One interpretation of the movie is that it explores the idea of the divided self, and the struggle to reconcile our different identities and desires. Adam and Anthony represent two different aspects of the same person, and their interactions reflect the internal conflict that arises when we try to suppress or deny parts of ourselves.

Another interpretation of the movie is that it explores the theme of control, and the idea that external forces can shape our lives in unexpected ways. The spider symbol represents the idea of being trapped or controlled, while the key represents the possibility of unlocking new possibilities. This interpretation suggests that Adam’s obsession with Anthony represents his desire to break free from the constraints of his own life and experience something new and exciting.

The ending of Enemy is one of the most enigmatic and controversial aspects of the movie. In the final scene, Adam Bell and Anthony Claire confront each other in a high-rise apartment, and the film cuts to black just as they both lunge towards each other.

One interpretation of the ending is that it represents the final battle between the two aspects of Adam’s personality: his repressed and submissive self (Adam), and his assertive and dominant self (Anthony). The fact that the movie ends with the two men seemingly merging into one suggests that Adam has finally come to terms with his conflicting desires and identities, and has achieved a sense of integration and wholeness.

Another interpretation of the ending is that it represents Adam’s ultimate descent into madness and self-destruction. The fact that the final scene takes place in a high-rise apartment, and that the two men seem to be falling towards the ground, suggests that Adam has reached the end of his journey and is about to experience a catastrophic breakdown.

Regardless of which interpretation one subscribes to, the ending of Enemy is undeniably powerful and haunting. The film’s use of symbolism and metaphor creates a sense of unease and ambiguity that lingers long after the credits roll, and invites viewers to reflect on the nature of identity, control, and desire. Whether one loves or hates the movie’s enigmatic finale, there is no denying that it is a fitting conclusion to a film that is full of surprises and thought-provoking moments.

In conclusion, Enemy is a haunting and enigmatic film that offers a unique and thought-provoking exploration of the themes of identity, duality, and control. The movie’s use of symbolism and metaphor adds depth and complexity to the story, and invites multiple interpretations from viewers. Through its innovative storytelling, striking visuals, and powerful performances, Enemy has left a lasting impression on the world of cinema and has solidified director Denis Villeneuve’s reputation as a visionary filmmaker. Despite its abstract and sometimes confusing narrative, Enemy is a film that rewards careful attention and analysis, and continues to captivate audiences with its mysterious and unsettling atmosphere. For those looking for a challenging and intellectually stimulating movie experience, Enemy is a must-see.

Hi, I’m William Jones, the administrator of the exciting website explainedthis.com, which offers movie, music, and book reviews. With a deep passion for entertainment, I created this platform to provide a trusted source of information for fellow enthusiasts who want to stay up-to-date on the latest releases and trends.

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Enemy Review

Jake Gyllenhaal plays two conflicted and conflicting men in Enemy, director Denis Villeneuve’s atmospheric and enigmatic new feature.

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Shortly before shooting his excellent major studio debut, Prisoners , director Denis Villeneuve made Enemy , a strange and inscrutable psychological thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal (who also worked with the director in Prisoners ) in a dual role as two men who look exactly alike and are drawn into a dangerous psychological battle with each other. The film’s refusal to deliver a conventional narrative may frustrate some viewers, but should also be embraced by moviegoers who like stories that take place just a step or two removed from reality.

Based on the novel The Double by the late, brilliant Brazilian writer Jose Saramago, Enemy opens with a strange scene that sets the tone for the rest of this unsettling piece. Inside an underground sex club is where we first encounter a bearded Gyllenhaal watching a live exhibition along with several other men. A silver platter is brought out and its lid lifted to reveal a swollen, grotesque tarantula underneath – which is immediately crushed by a woman’s spiked heel.

We then switch to Gyllenhall as history professor Adam Bell, whose detachment and disinterest in his own life is matched only by his remote relationship with his girlfriend Mary (Melanie Laurent). Even sex is yet another mechanical function in Bell’s dreary, disconnected daily routine. But one day, while watching a movie on a recommendation from a colleague, Bell spies an actor in the background of one scene who disconcertingly looks like him. Doing some research, Bell eventually learns Anthony St. Clair’s phone number and calls him – only to be mistaken for Anthony himself by the actor’s pregnant girlfriend Helen (Sarah Gadon).

When the two men finally meet, it is clear that they don’t just resemble each other but are completely identical – right down to matching scars. This has a shattering effect on both their psyches and soon leads to a struggle in which both men wish to prevail – although the upper hand at first seems to go to the much more arrogant and cocksure Anthony (who, we assume, was also the man in the sex club) than the neurotic and at first timid Adam, who is plagued with increasingly horrific nightmares. As the conflict escalates, the women in their lives are inevitably drawn into it as well, with potentially tragic consequences.

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That description of the plot makes it seem a lot more straightforward than it actually is, because Enemy functions primarily as a mood piece, with the story drifting forward in a series of surreal, tense set pieces rather than a fast-moving chain of events. Villeneuve, as he did in Incendies and Prisoners , excels at sustaining the mood he wishes to convey; with its bleak, gray view of a tomb-like Toronto, the dark, stifling interiors of both men’s apartments, and the score by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans doing a lot of heavy lifting, a miasma of dread settles over the film from the beginning and never lets up, almost to the point of self-parody.

But the movie never quite crosses that line, thanks especially to the committed performance(s) from Gyllenhall as Adam and Anthony. The two look the same but are different in subtle ways, leaving the viewer to wonder whether Anthony does actually exist or is some unattainable different version of himself that the disheveled, despondent Adam has dreamed up. The idea that we are looking at two versions of the same man gains strength when the inevitable happens and one of them seduces the other’s woman without her realizing the switch.

Gyllenhaal is excellent in the dual role, and gets solid supporting work from Laurent and Gadon, the latter a recent favorite of David Cronenberg. And she’s not the only Cronenberg connection in the film; Villeneuve’s thematic concerns, somnolent tone and eerie imagery call to mind a lot of the great Canadian director’s early work, along with the cold depiction of Toronto. And then there’s that ending: Villeneuve’s very last shot is horrifying, pretentious and just plain nuts all at the same time, jamming Cronenberg, David Lynch and Kafka into a startling unexpected final image that also brings the film full circle.

Is Enemy easily explained? Not a chance. Villeneuve and Gyllenhaal (and screenwriter Javier Gullon) are not interested in logical arguments or conclusive statements: if you think True Detective was a tough sit, then stay far away from this. But there’s no question that they’ve fashioned an unsettling philosophical/existential horror film that grapples with core questions about identity, fidelity and what it means to be a man – then casts you adrift to find the answers for yourself.

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3.5 out of 5

Don Kaye | @donkaye

Don Kaye is an entertainment journalist by trade and geek by natural design. Born in New York City, currently ensconced in Los Angeles, his earliest childhood memory is…

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Enemy review – a morbidly elegant doppelganger tale

Y ou can usually count on Jake Gyllenhaal for a magnetically odd performance: before Nightcrawler it was Prisoners , last year’s collaboration with Canadian director Denis Villeneuve . By comparison, in Villeneuve’s Enemy Gyllenhaal is altogether reasonable – compelling, though, and you get two Jakes for the price of one. Counterintuitively representing an island of understatement in an altogether barmy film, Gyllenhaal plays a timid academic who discovers that he has an exact double, a failed movie actor, and makes the mistake of contacting him.

Based – with considerable modifications, by all accounts – on José Saramago’s novel The Double , Enemy is set in an otherworldly version of Toronto and laced with menacing arachnid imagery. Cloaked in acrid yellow hues, it might have been dreamed up in committee by David Cronenberg, Luis Buñuel and the Polish master of freaky psychosexual gloom Andrzej Zulawski, whose surpassingly weird Possession (1981) this very much recalls. With its strong dosage of dream and male-centred eroticism (Mélanie Laurent and Sarah Gadon, as the two men’s partners, barely register as characters), Villeneuve’s film is eerie, unsettling and ultimately opaque: a riddle wrapped in a mystery wrapped in a murky spiderweb. I’m not convinced, but Enemy has morbid elegance to spare, which should guarantee it some long-term cult prestige.

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Enemy Review

02 Jan 2015

"Chaos is merely order waiting to be deciphered,” runs a title card at the start of Enemy. Based on José Saramago’s Nobel prize-winning novella The Double, you might never get to the bottom of Denis Villeneuve and Jake Gyllenhaal’s second collaboration following Prisoners (it actually shot first), but figuring it out is a riveting, thoughtful, thoroughly disturbing experience. This is brilliant, daring filmmaking that calls to mind the heyday of David Lynch and, post-Incendies and Prisoners, confirms Villeneuve as one of cinema’s most compelling new voices.

In outline, Enemy sounds like an extended Twilight Zone episode but the premise — lecturer Adam (Gyllenhaal) becomes obsessed with his dead spit, actor Anthony (also Gyllenhaal) — is played for more than spooky sci-fi weirdness. Instead it’s a slow inward interrogation into a split psyche, detailing mental turmoil, unconscious desires, predatory sexuality (Mélanie Laurent and Sarah Gadon play partners who get swapped) and the inability to feel intimacy with a dark, unflinching eye. It’s not all downbeat, though. The apartments are to die for.

If on paper the pair seem miles apart (Adam – Volvo and cords; Anthony — motorbikes and leathers), Gyllenhaal negotiates the differences in increments. These are two terrific performances, shifting between emotionally comatose and playful, that make you forget the special effects process but, more importantly, provide a grounding to anchor (but never explain) all the strangeness surrounding it. The Canadian milieu might call to mind early Cronenberg and you could lob any number of other touchstones at it (Kafka, Kubrick), but Enemy is its own thing. Villeneuve has incredible control of his palette, both visually (all cigarette-stain yellows and bruise browns) and aurally (LOUD scary music by Saunder Jurriaans and Danny Bensi), subtly building an undertow of fear and dread. On top, we get the more overtly bizarre — diversions into underground sex clubs, unsettling images of giant spiders. Some films are about characters dealing with uncomfortable headspaces. Enemy puts you inside one.

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Thanks to a strong performance from Jake Gyllenhaal and smart direction from Denis Villeneuve, Enemy hits the mark as a tense, uncommonly adventurous thriller.

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Film of the week: Enemy

Two Jakes: Gyllenhaal goes Janus-faced in Denis Villeneuve’s spidery adaptation of José Saramago’s The Double, says Jason Anderson.

Jason Anderson 2 January 2015

from our January 2015 issue

Enemy (2013)

Spoiler alert: this review reveals a plot twist

“Chaos is order yet undeciphered.” Spoken in a conversation that is otherwise not included in Denis Villeneuve’s deeply beguiling adaptation of José Saramago’s novel The Double , the line used as Enemy ’s epigraph summarises the challenge the film poses to its audience.

Canada/Spain/France 2013 Certificate 15 90m 27s

Director Denis Villeneuve

Cast Adam/Anthony Clair Jake Gyllenhaal Mary Mélanie Laurent Helen Sarah Gadon mother Isabella Rossellini

Full credits

Dolby Digital In Colour [2.35:1]

UK release date 2 January 2015 in cinemas and on VoD Distributor Curzon Film World ► Trailer

That’s true whether the viewers in question already delight in deciphering puzzle films such as Christopher Nolan’s Memento (2000) or Inception (2010) or come to Enemy hoping for a more clearly signposted mystery thriller along the lines of Prisoners (2013), the Canadian director’s other recent teaming with star Jake Gyllenhaal . In either case, they may react to Enemy’s aggressive disdain for storytelling conventions and cheeky refusal to cede its secrets with the same air of befuddlement that greeted the film’s premiere in Toronto in September 2013, when several moments of stunned silence followed the final spidery surprise.

First published in the original Portuguese in 2002, Saramago’s novel is similarly unforthcoming about the cosmic machinations that have resulted in two entirely identical men sharing the same pocket of the space-time continuum. Instead of pondering the reasons for this aberration or its potential impact on our commonly held but perhaps equally absurd delusions about our uniqueness as individuals, the novel’s unidentified narrator busies himself with an account of the tightly wound protagonist’s efforts to discover the identity and whereabouts of his double while concealing his own role in this unprecedented predicament. (The reasons behind the plague in Saramago’s Blindness – whose 2008 film adaptation was co-produced by some of the team behind Enemy – were similarly obscure.) The protagonist’s floundering results in a comedy of errors (and manners) whose seemingly light-hearted tone belies the existential horror at the story’s core, as well as the cruelly tragic nature of its finale, which leaves him essentially imprisoned in his double’s existence.

In their adaptation, Villeneuve and Spanish screenwriter Javier Gullón retain much of Saramago’s dry humour while amplifying the dread with elements of their own invention. As a result, the matter of Enemy’s own identity becomes nearly as slippery as that of its two identical protagonists. After an alluring intro set in a sex club that seems rather less classy than the iconic example in Eyes Wide Shut (1999), the film settles into a more wryly satirical mode, with teacher Adam’s classroom talk of Marx and history’s repetitions juxtaposed with glimpses of his personal hamster wheel of glum streetcar commutes and joyless couplings with girlfriend Mary. When he comes across the existence of his double, actor Anthony, his actions push the proceedings into the shape of a mystery story, albeit one with a rather hapless sleuth who is soon hopelessly trapped inside “the plot of a detective novel with no known criminal”, as Saramago’s narrator puts it.

Like the source material, Villeneuve’s film contains more than a few traces of sex farce, too. After all, our store of ribald tales would surely be drastically reduced if not for the abundance of incidents involving mistaken, concealed or switched identities. Anthony – whose history of philandering is suggested in a fraught exchange with his wife Helen – certainly recognises the potential advantages of his situation. Following Mary on to a streetcar, he sizes her up with the air of a predator who is absolutely certain of his hunting prowess. He understands that he already possesses the most perfect of all disguises. (In one of the film’s smarter reversals, it is Helen who proves to be the bolder lover, when she plays along with Adam’s far from persuasive impersonation of her husband.)

Enemy displays a similarly playful attitude towards its place in a lineage of films with twin or otherwise identical characters, a tradition that seems especially rich in Toronto (where this film is set) thanks to Jeremy Irons’s double act in David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers (1988) and Tatiana Maslany’s astounding performance as a multiplicity of clones in the BBC America hit Orphan Black (2013-).

It was thanks to another piece of synchronicity that Enemy arrived on the festival circuit at the same time as Richard Ayoade’s adaptation of Dostoevsky’s The Double , with Jesse Eisenberg facing off against himself. But compared with the performers in these examples, Gyllenhaal has relatively few encounters with himself, and Villeneuve is largely uninterested in wowing viewers with the sight of two Jakes sharing the frame. In fact, he goes so far as to skip the opportunity for a fight scene – Saramago’s actor is far rougher than the timid teacher, immobilising him with an armlock during their confrontation over his nefarious plans.

And whereas Eisenberg’s pair of rivals in The Double are locked in the ego-versus-id dynamic typical of twin tales, the personalities of Adam and Anthony do not boast so many easily discernible differences. Hesitant and nervous in his manner, Adam may display little of the actorly swagger we see in Anthony, but the two men share a certain aloofness and a cool determination to see their decisions through, even when their later ones prompt a growing degree of identity confusion. This is most startling when Adam visits his mother, played with a marvellous hauteur by Isabella Rossellini. When she makes a disdainful reference to his acting career, both Adam (if it is actually Adam) and the viewer rightly wonder who he’s supposed to be. There’s the possibility that she’s been Anthony’s mother all along.

Appropriating the self-dividing protagonists of Lost Highway (1997) and Mulholland Dr. (2003) would hardly count as the only move that Enemy borrows from David Lynch ’s playbook. His influence is just as palpable in the oddly languorous pacing of many scenes and the hard, washed-out look of Toronto, whose curvy cylinders of glass and concrete reaching up into smoggy skies of yellow could almost pass for Lynch’s Los Angeles.

The Silencio-like club and the arachnid motif are Villeneuve and Gullón’s most conspicuous additions to Saramago’s story. Whatever the spider’s symbolic significance may be (perhaps we’re meant to think of a Jorogumo , a creature that transforms into a human seductress in Japanese folklore), the motif prompts some of Enemy’s most striking images. The shiny face of a spider-woman glimpsed in one of Adam’s dreams is cleverly evoked by the sheen of the motorcycle helmet that Anthony wears to conceal himself while stalking Mary. Likewise, the web-like appearance of a cracked window in a car wreck forecasts Adam’s final surprise.

All this is highly indicative of a filmmaker who’s having a grand old time. That might come sometimes at the viewer’s expense, but it’s hard to begrudge Villeneuve his indulgences when they yield this much pleasure. The director seems consistently delighted at this opportunity to shift away from the high-minded seriousness of Prisoners and Incendies (2010) and demonstrate the same flair for the absurd he showed in Maelstrom (2000), a similarly audacious, arresting and confounding drama that may not have had any spiders but did have a dead fish for a narrator.

Playing a character who’s a far cry from his saucer-eyed sociopath in Tony Gilroy’s Nightcrawler (2014), Gyllenhaal faces the tricky task of conveying the subtle differences of two men whose identities are thrown into flux. The result is his most nuanced performance since playing another sleuth caught out of his depth in Zodiac (2007). Like David Fincher’s masterful descent into the irrational and the unknowable, Enemy offers no tidy solutions, only a very sticky web and a hungry creature that’s ready to swallow you whole.

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Enemy Movie Review: Jake Gyllenhaal Gives a Career-Defining Performance in Denis Villeneuve A24 Thriller

Review: Beyond the immediate impact, Enemy lingers in your mind, prompting introspection and challenging your perception of what the plot ultimately means. Denis Villeneuve directs one of the most beguiling movies of the 2010s.

jake gyllenhaal enemy 2013 movie denis villeneuve a24 film

Denis Villeneuve ‘s 2013 movie, Enemy , transcends the confines of what a conventional thriller can be, weaving through a tense world with existential dread and psychological turmoil. While the genre elements of mystery and suspense are undeniably present, they serve as mere brushstrokes in a larger image exploring the profound themes of identity, duality, and the subconscious.

Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a career-defining performance, embodying both Adam, the repressed college professor, and Anthony, his carefree doppelgänger and actor, with such nuanced dexterity that their distinct personalities bleed through every gesture and expression. The audience is drawn into a voyeuristic dance, deciphering the small differences in their demeanor, morals, and perspectives, constantly questioning the nature of their connection and the blurred lines between the two characters’ realities.

Villeneuve, mastering visual storytelling in Enemy , crafts an unsettling atmosphere that seeps into your bones. The film’s ochre-tinged palette, reminiscent of faded photographs, casts a pall over the sterile cityscape, mirroring the characters’ internal struggles. Deliberate pacing and a dissonant score by Saunder Jurriaans and Danny Bensi further amplify the sense of unease, creating a dreamlike state where reality and illusion constantly dance on the edge of perception.

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Enemy ‘s true power lies in its ambiguity. Unlike conventional narratives that spoon-feed answers, Denis Villeneuve invites the audience to actively participate in unraveling the movie’s enigmatic plotlines. The recurring spider motif becomes a potent symbol, open to individual interpretation. Is it a harbinger of danger, a manifestation of repressed desires, or simply a narrative thread to guide us through the inner turmoil of Adam? The beauty lies in the absence of definitive answers for Enemy , where Denis allows you to form your own conclusions.

Beyond the immediate impact, Enemy lingers in your mind, prompting introspection and challenging your perception of what the plot ultimately means. The film’s exploration of identity transcends the individual, delving into the collective anxieties and societal pressures that shape our understanding of ourselves. In a world increasingly obsessed with self-branding and social media personas, Enemy forces us to confront the unsettling possibility that the lines between who we are and who we project to the world might be more blurred than we imagine.

The movie stands among one of the best A24 movies to date, nearly everything released in 2013, and Denis Villeneuve’s own filmography. It really improves on rewatch, and I can’t wait to revisit again down the line.

Genre: Mystery , Thriller

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Enemy Film Cast and Credits

Jake Gyllenhaal as Adam Bell / Anthony Claire

Sarah Gadon as Helen Claire

Mélanie Laurent as Mary

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Writer: Javier Gullón

Cinematography: Nicolas Bolduc

Editor: Matthew Hannam

Composers: Saunder Jurriaans , Danny Bensi

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Mind-bending, surreal mystery with sex and language.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The movie is so surreal and elusive that any messa

The movie more or less shows two sides of one pers

We see a realistic car crash, and a few nightmaris

A scene takes place at a strange, mysterious club

Language is not heard very often, but in the film'

Characters drink casually, at home, in a backgroun

Positive Messages

The movie is so surreal and elusive that any messages are buried deep within. Perhaps: "curiosity killed the cat"? Other themes will be up for discussion.

Positive Role Models

The movie more or less shows two sides of one person, one aggressive and confident, and the other meek and sad. Neither is particularly admirable, though the movie could spark discussion about the different sides of our own personalities.

Violence & Scariness

We see a realistic car crash, and a few nightmarishly scary images. Otherwise, there are a few moments of characters yelling or arguing with one another.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A scene takes place at a strange, mysterious club in which women perform on stage. We hear the sounds and see some suggestions of one woman masturbating, while many men watch. The main character has sex with his girlfriend more than once; her breasts and bottom are shown. A pregnant woman is shown undressing, and her breasts are on view. Characters have sex with more than one partner. In a nightmare sequence, a fully naked woman with a spider head walks toward the camera (upside-down, on the ceiling). A character follows a strange woman down a hallway, with a close-up on her behind (she's wearing a kind of sexy, fishnet outfit).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language is not heard very often, but in the film's final third, "f--k" is used several times. "S--t" is also heard once or twice.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters drink casually, at home, in a background way. A woman says, "I think I'm drunk" in one scene, and goes to bed.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Enemy is a sexy, surreal mystery from the director/actor team that made Prisoners . It features lots of female nudity, including one full-frontal shot, plus some creepy sexual imagery and the suggestion of women performing sex acts for men to watch. There are also several sex scenes between partners, and characters with more than one partner. Language is strong in the latter part of the movie, with several uses of "f--k," plus at least one use of "s--t." There's a realistic car crash, and characters shouting and arguing. Characters also drink in a casual, background way, at home. The movie is more about the mystery than the solution, and does not provide any real answers. It will be up to adventurous older teens and grown-ups to ponder the clues and reach their own conclusions. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parents say (4)
Kids say (10)

Based on 4 parent reviews

Dark, smart mystery

Great movie, what's the story.

Adam Bell ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) is a sad, drab history professor who gives the same lecture about dictatorships (and their repeating patterns), and goes home to the same evening routine with his girlfriend Mary ( Melanie Laurent ). One night he rents a movie and spots an actor that looks exactly like himself. He discovers the actor's name, Anthony Clair (Gyllenhaal again), and contacts him. The confident, commanding Anthony is married to the beautiful, pregnant Helen ( Sarah Gadon ). The two men appear to be exact doubles, and neither knows precisely what to make of it, until Anthony callously decides to steal Mary away for a weekend. Yet for Adam, the puzzle, involving a mysterious package and dreams about spiders, grows ever more complex.

Is It Any Good?

Oscar-nominated Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve continues his collaboration with actor Jake Gyllenhaal , following Prisoners ; the result here is much tighter but far less realistic. Indeed, ENEMY could easily be described as surreal. It's a mystery story, with mystery elements, but the movie does not provide much in the way of answers. It's more like a David Lynch film, with clues, emotions, images, ideas, and sensations coming together for one unique experience, with a bizarre, unforgettable ending.

Enemy begins with shots of a mysterious club involving women in sexual situations and spiders, and these nightmarish images continue to permeate the film. The movie also dabbles in notions of repeating patterns and doubled images, though not overtly. It's smart enough not to leave blatant clues or red herrings, anywhere. Based on a 2002 novel by Nobel Prize-winning Portuguese author Jose Saramago, it's a truly intriguing movie, sure to leave viewers pondering long after.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the sex in the movie. Does sex seem to be a healthy or loving outlet for these characters? What's the overall tone to the sexual activity in the movie?

Is the movie scary ? Creepy? How does a story that departs from reality affect you? What other movies have departed from reality, with different results?

The main character's personality traits seem to have been split, one confident and aggressive, and the other meek and sad. Do you feel all these things within yourself? At what different times, or in what situations?

Movie Details

In theaters : March 14, 2014
On DVD or streaming : June 24, 2014
Cast : Jake Gyllenhaal , Sarah Gadon , Melanie Laurent
Director : Denis Villeneuve
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : A24
Genre : Thriller
Run time : 90 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : some strong sexual content, graphic nudity and language
Last updated : August 13, 2023

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Movie Review: Enemy (2013)

Aaron Leggo
Movie Reviews
4 responses
--> March 31, 2014

Enemy (2013) by The Critical Movie Critics

Professor Gyllenhaal.

Denis Villeneuve knows the truth: Spiders are evil. And now he’s made an entire movie about this. It’s hard to say whether Villeneuve is a genuine arachnophobe or just not a fan of the definitive creepy-crawly creatures, but his deliciously bleak head-trip thriller Enemy is absolutely littered with them. The arachnids are up to no good here, though to be fair, they’re not the only ones with a sinister agenda in this deliriously dark picture.

Enter Adam Bell (Jake Gyllenhaal, “ Prisoners “), a mild-mannered professor who shuffles through life in a sickly hued Toronto with an aimless malaise that follows him like a persistent personal cloud. He’s trapped in a dreary circle, unable to move forward. His apartment is depressingly empty, his mother (Isabella Rossellini, “Keyhole”) is worried about him, and his attractive girlfriend Mary (Mélanie Laurent, “ Now You See Me “) can’t even drag him away from marking papers with an invitation to the bedroom. Adam isn’t just stuck in a rut; he is a rut.

But everything changes when he watches a movie (the result of asking for a “cheerful” recommendation, an ironic request in a Villeneuve pic) and soon discovers that a small role is played by none other than his very own doppelganger. The presence of this actor is so subtle that Adam doesn’t even notice it at first, only making the connection later in a dream. And then he can’t get it out of his head. So begins Adam’s journey to hunt down his double, setting off a series of devastating events that tear at his psyche.

When Adam finds the actor, whose real name is Anthony, Enemy develops a fork in the narrative path and we witness the dual storylines unfold from that point on. Anthony has a beautiful blonde partner, too, named Helen (Sarah Gadon, “ A Dangerous Method “), but she’s his wife and she’s pregnant, so it’s not like his relationship situation is a mere mirror of Adam’s. Physically, though, the two are nearly indistinguishable, since Gyllenhaal wears the same bearded look for both roles, only providing some visual division in their differing wardrobes.

In terms of personality, Anthony exudes a brusque confidence that Adam probably wishes he had. Neither guy seems to have any clue as to what’s happening or why, but it’s clear that this is a chilling situation for everyone involved, including us. The score by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans causes a blanket of dread to cover almost every scene, so the screws of tension are turned tight at all times. That’s a difficult note of terror to maintain without it becoming monotonous, but Villeneuve embraces the challenge and keeps digging deeper under our skin by keeping the imagery fresh and the conflict cerebral.

So where do the spiders come into all of this? Well, just about everywhere. It’s the why that leaves us scratching our heads, but that’s the beauty of Enemy , that its mysteries are multi-faceted, that they live and breathe in the dark corners of the narrative, open to all sorts of fascinating interpretations. One of the first shots shows a woman’s shoe about to crush a tarantula, so perhaps what follows is actually a spider revenge tale. Whether or not that’s the particular interpretation one wishes to explore, it’s clear that the creatures manifest themselves as monsters here, invading Adam’s mind and closing in on his sanity.

Adam’s dreams are haunted by the arachnids, revealing such striking images as a gigantic spider towering over skyscrapers while it slinks through the city and a naked woman with a spider head walking upside down through a hallway. These shots offer the motif at its most blatant, but they make such an immediate impression because they’re instantly iconic and they hurl us into Adam’s experience, creating a visualization of the movie’s terrifying tone.

Trying to understand.

A more subtle employment of the spider motif starts to creep into the picture as the story progresses and the situation worsens, as if the arachnids have sunk deeper not only into Adam’s consciousness, but the movie’s as well. At one point, the camera glides across the ceiling, looking down at Adam from a menacingly unusual angle. At another, the splintered glass of a car window suggests a spider web in its cracked formation.

The robust ubiquity of the whole narrative pattern makes for an absolutely hypnotic experience, but what is most impressive is how Villeneuve and screenwriter Javier Gullón, adapting a novel by José Saramago, leave it all up to us to determine how much is real and how much is imagined. The degree to which the imagery could be interpreted as metaphorical is up for debate, meaning there’s as much room for a fantastical theory as there is for something more grounded, such as the possibility that this is all part of an elaborate plan to cover up an extramarital affair.

By providing such depth and dimension for both Gyllenhaal-performed characters, Villeneuve ensures that Enemy is more than an unnerving head-scratcher, but additionally a taut, engaging examination of lives unraveled and reformed. There’s dramatic weight to the intertwined existences of Adam and Anthony, because the emotional dangers have been boiled down to an inescapably cramped and personal space that threatens to consume the characters and the entire movie with them. Mysteries abound, but one thing is for certain: You can’t trust the spiders. As Enemy so elegantly and eerily declares, they don’t trust us, either.

Tagged: actor , college , novel adaptation , teacher

You and I both know the truth. You just don't admit it.

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'Movie Review: Enemy (2013)' have 4 comments

March 31, 2014 @ 10:06 am Andrew

I have honestly no idea what watched. So many questions, so few answers.

March 31, 2014 @ 1:08 pm Me Frank

Gyllenhaal reminds me a lot of Matthew McConaughey in that they are both better actors than their earlier work let on. If Jake continues taking roles like the one in Prisoner and this his Oscar should soon follow.

April 1, 2014 @ 12:41 am Sunnie

Sounds interesting.

June 27, 2014 @ 9:16 am jjames36

Great review of what is certainly an interesting movie. The spiders are rather consistently present, aren’t they? :)

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In the riveting espionage thriller ‘ Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ,’ directed by Tomas Alfredson, Gary Oldman stars as George Smiley, a retired intelligence officer brought back to uncover a Soviet mole within the British Secret Service. Set against the backdrop of Cold War-era London, the film looks into the murky world of espionage, where loyalties are tested, and betrayal lurks around every corner. With a stellar ensemble cast including Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, and John Hurt, the movie offers a gripping portrayal of the high-stakes game of cat and mouse played out by spies on both sides of the Iron Curtain. Much like ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,’ ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ explores the shadowy world of intelligence operations and the intricate webs of deception woven by those who fight in the shadows for their country.

7. Anthropoid (2016)

Directed by Sean Ellis, ‘Anthropoid’ is a historical thriller based on the true story of Operation Anthropoid during World War II. Starring Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan, the film follows Czechoslovakian soldiers Josef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš as they are parachuted into occupied Czechoslovakia to assassinate SS General Reinhard Heydrich, one of the architects of the Holocaust. Similar to ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,’ ‘Anthropoid’ portrays a daring covert operation undertaken by a small group of highly skilled operatives against overwhelming odds in the fight against Nazi tyranny.

6. Defiance (2008)

In ‘Defiance,’ directed by Edward Zwick, Daniel Craig, and Liev Schreiber lead a group of Jewish brothers who escape into the Belarussian forests to evade Nazi persecution during World War II. As they struggle to survive, they form a community and launch guerrilla attacks against the German forces. The film delves into themes of resilience, survival, and the human spirit’s capacity for resistance in the face of overwhelming adversity. Much like ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,’ ‘Defiance’ showcases the bravery and ingenuity of individuals determined to defy tyranny and fight for freedom, making it a compelling wartime drama.

5. U-571 (2000)

In ‘ U-571 ‘, directed by Jonathan Mostow, audiences are plunged into the perilous depths of World War II submarine warfare, echoing the daring missions depicted in ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.’ Led by Matthew McConaughey, the film follows a team of American sailors who must infiltrate a German U-boat to steal a top-secret encryption device. Fueled by tension and high-stakes action, ‘U-571’ showcases the bravery and resourcefulness of wartime operatives as they navigate treacherous waters and outwit their adversaries. With its pulse-pounding narrative and stellar cast, including Bill Paxton and Harvey Keitel, the movie delivers a raw portrayal of covert operations during WWII.

4. Where Eagles Dare (1968)

Directed by Brian G. Hutton, ‘Where Eagles Dare’ catapults audiences into a gripping narrative of wartime intrigue and perilous rescue endeavors, echoing the high-stakes escapades seen in ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.’ Starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood, the film follows a team of Allied commandos as they infiltrate a German fortress in the heart of enemy territory to rescue a captured American general. Filled with twists, turns, and pulse-pounding action sequences, ‘Where Eagles Dare’ captures the essence of covert operations during World War II, showcasing the courage and cunning required to outsmart the enemy behind enemy lines.

3. The Great Escape (1963)

In ‘The Great Escape,’ masterfully directed by John Sturges, audiences embark on a thrilling journey of defiance and determination, echoing the audacious spirit found in ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.’ With an ensemble cast led by Steve McQueen and James Garner, the film brings to life the remarkable true story of Allied prisoners’ bold breakout from a German POW camp during World War II. As each character showcases their ingenuity and courage in the face of adversity, ‘The Great Escape’ becomes a testament to the indomitable human spirit, capturing hearts with its exhilarating tale of triumph against all odds.

2. The Dirty Dozen (1967)

‘ The Dirty Dozen ‘ is a perfect companion to ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ by showcasing a similar narrative of unconventional warfare and daring missions against the backdrop of World War II. Directed by Robert Aldrich, the film follows a group of convicted criminals recruited for a suicide mission behind enemy lines to sabotage a German stronghold. With an ensemble cast led by Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson, ‘The Dirty Dozen’ captivates audiences with its gritty portrayal of bravery, sacrifice, and the unorthodox tactics employed by these unlikely heroes.

1. Kelly’s Heroes (1970)

‘Kelly’s Heroes’ beckons fans of ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ with its audacious blend of humor and wartime adventure, offering a fresh perspective on unconventional heroism. Directed by Brian G. Hutton, the film embarks on a rollicking journey with a ragtag group of soldiers who embark on a daring heist behind enemy lines during World War II. Led by Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, and Telly Savalas, the ensemble cast infuses the narrative with wit and charm as they navigate through perilous situations with cunning and camaraderie. With its exhilarating blend of action, humor, and camaraderie, ‘Kelly’s Heroes’ stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of those who dare to defy the odds in the face of adversity.

Read More: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’s True Story, Explained

‘Civil War’ Review: We Have Met the Enemy and It Is Us. Again.

In Alex Garland’s tough new movie, a group of journalists led by Kirsten Dunst, as a photographer, travels a United States at war with itself.

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‘Civil War’ | Anatomy of a Scene

The writer and director alex garland narrates a sequence from his film..

“My name is Alex Garland and I’m the writer director of ‘Civil War’. So this particular clip is roughly around the halfway point of the movie and it’s these four journalists and they’re trying to get, in a very circuitous route, from New York to DC, and encountering various obstacles on the way. And this is one of those obstacles. What they find themselves stuck in is a battle between two snipers. And they are close to one of the snipers and the other sniper is somewhere unseen, but presumably in a large house that sits over a field and a hill. It’s a surrealist exchange and it’s surrounded by some very surrealist imagery, which is they’re, in broad daylight in broad sunshine, there’s no indication that we’re anywhere near winter in the filming. In fact, you can kind of tell it’s summer. But they’re surrounded by Christmas decorations. And in some ways, the Christmas decorations speak of a country, which is in disrepair, however silly it sounds. If you haven’t put away your Christmas decorations, clearly something isn’t going right.” “What’s going on?” “Someone in that house, they’re stuck. We’re stuck.” “And there’s a bit of imagery. It felt like it hit the right note. But the interesting thing about that imagery was that it was not production designed. We didn’t create it. We actually literally found it. We were driving along and we saw all of these Christmas decorations, basically exactly as they are in the film. They were about 100 yards away, just piled up by the side of the road. And it turned out, it was a guy who’d put on a winter wonderland festival. People had not dug his winter wonderland festival, and he’d gone bankrupt. And he had decided just to leave everything just strewn around on a farmer’s field, who was then absolutely furious. So in a way, there’s a loose parallel, which is the same implication that exists within the film exists within real life.” “You don’t understand a word I say. Yo. What’s over there in that house?” “Someone shooting.” “It’s to do with the fact that when things get extreme, the reasons why things got extreme no longer become relevant and the knife edge of the problem is all that really remains relevant. So it doesn’t actually matter, as it were, in this context, what side they’re fighting for or what the other person’s fighting for. It’s just reduced to a survival.”

By Manohla Dargis

A blunt, gut-twisting work of speculative fiction, “Civil War” opens with the United States at war with itself — literally, not just rhetorically. In Washington, D.C., the president is holed up in the White House; in a spookily depopulated New York, desperate people wait for water rations. It’s the near-future, and rooftop snipers, suicide bombers and wild-eyed randos are in the fight while an opposition faction with a two-star flag called the Western Forces, comprising Texas and California — as I said, this is speculative fiction — is leading the charge against what remains of the federal government. If you’re feeling triggered, you aren’t alone.

It’s mourning again in America, and it’s mesmerizingly, horribly gripping. Filled with bullets, consuming fires and terrific actors like Kirsten Dunst running for cover, the movie is a what-if nightmare stoked by memories of Jan. 6. As in what if the visions of some rioters had been realized, what if the nation was again broken by Civil War, what if the democratic experiment called America had come undone? If that sounds harrowing, you’re right. It’s one thing when a movie taps into childish fears with monsters under the bed; you’re eager to see what happens because you know how it will end (until the sequel). Adult fears are another matter.

In “Civil War,” the British filmmaker Alex Garland explores the unbearable if not the unthinkable, something he likes to do. A pop cultural savant, he made a splashy zeitgeist-ready debut with his 1996 best seller “The Beach,” a novel about a paradise that proves deadly, an evergreen metaphor for life and the basis for a silly film . That things in the world are not what they seem, and are often far worse, is a theme that Garland has continued pursuing in other dark fantasies, first as a screenwriter (“ 28 Days Later ”), and then as a writer-director (“ Ex Machina ”). His résumé is populated with zombies, clones and aliens, though reliably it is his outwardly ordinary characters you need to keep a closer watch on.

By the time “Civil War” opens, the fight has been raging for an undisclosed period yet long enough to have hollowed out cities and people’s faces alike. It’s unclear as to why the war started or who fired the first shot. Garland does scatter some hints; in one ugly scene, a militia type played by a jolting, scarily effective Jesse Plemons asks captives “what kind of American” they are. Yet whatever divisions preceded the conflict are left to your imagination, at least partly because Garland assumes you’ve been paying attention to recent events. Instead, he presents an outwardly and largely post-ideological landscape in which debates over policies, politics and American exceptionalism have been rendered moot by war.

‘Civil War’ Is Designed to Disturb You

A woman with a bulletproof vest that says “Press” stands in a smoky city street.

One thing that remains familiar amid these ruins is the movie’s old-fashioned faith in journalism. Dunst, who’s sensational, plays Lee, a war photographer who works for Reuters alongside her friend, a reporter, Joel (the charismatic Wagner Moura). They’re in New York when you meet them, milling through a crowd anxiously waiting for water rations next to a protected tanker. It’s a fraught scene; the restless crowd is edging into mob panic, and Lee, camera in hand, is on high alert. As Garland’s own camera and Joel skitter about, Lee carves a path through the chaos, as if she knows exactly where she needs to be — and then a bomb goes off. By the time it does, an aspiring photojournalist, Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), is also in the mix.

The streamlined, insistently intimate story takes shape once Lee, Joel, Jessie and a veteran reporter, Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), pile into a van and head to Washington. Joel and Lee are hoping to interview the president (Nick Offerman), and Sammy and Jessie are riding along largely so that Garland can make the trip more interesting. Sammy serves as a stabilizing force (Henderson fills the van with humanizing warmth), while Jessie plays the eager upstart Lee takes under her resentful wing. It’s a tidily balanced sampling that the actors, with Garland’s banter and via some cozy downtime, turn into flesh-and-blood personalities, people whose vulnerability feeds the escalating tension with each mile.

As the miles and hours pass, Garland adds diversions and hurdles, including a pair of playful colleagues, Tony and Bohai (Nelson Lee and Evan Lai), and some spooky dudes guarding a gas station. Garland shrewdly exploits the tense emptiness of the land, turning strangers into potential threats and pretty country roads into ominously ambiguous byways. Smartly, he also recurrently focuses on Lee’s face, a heartbreakingly hard mask that Dunst lets slip brilliantly. As the journey continues, Garland further sketches in the bigger picture — the dollar is near-worthless, the F.B.I. is gone — but for the most part, he focuses on his travelers and the engulfing violence, the smoke and the tracer fire that they often don’t notice until they do.

Despite some much-needed lulls (for you, for the narrative rhythm), “Civil War” is unremittingly brutal or at least it feels that way. Many contemporary thrillers are far more overtly gruesome than this one, partly because violence is one way unimaginative directors can put a distinctive spin on otherwise interchangeable material: Cue the artful fountains of arterial spray. Part of what makes the carnage here feel incessant and palpably realistic is that Garland, whose visual approach is generally unfussy, doesn’t embellish the violence, turning it into an ornament of his virtuosity. Instead, the violence is direct, at times shockingly casual and unsettling, so much so that its unpleasantness almost comes as a surprise.

If the violence feels more intense than in a typical genre shoot ’em up, it’s also because, I think, with “Civil War,” Garland has made the movie that’s long been workshopped in American political discourse and in mass culture, and which entered wider circulation on Jan. 6. The raw power of Garland’s vision unquestionably owes much to the vivid scenes that beamed across the world that day when rioters, some wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “ MAGA civil war ,” swarmed the Capitol. Even so, watching this movie, I also flashed on other times in which Americans have relitigated the Civil War directly and not, on the screen and in the streets.

Movies have played a role in that relitigation for more than a century, at times grotesquely. Two of the most famous films in history — D.W. Griffith’s 1915 racist epic “The Birth of a Nation” (which became a Ku Klux Klan recruitment tool) and the romantic 1939 melodrama “Gone With the Wind” — are monuments to white supremacy and the myth of the Southern Lost Cause. Both were critical and popular hits. In the decades since, filmmakers have returned to the Civil War era to tell other stories in films like “Glory,” “Lincoln” and “Django Unchained” that in addressing the American past inevitably engage with its present.

There are no lofty or reassuring speeches in “Civil War,” and the movie doesn’t speak to the better angels of our nature the way so many films try to. Hollywood’s longstanding, deeply American imperative for happy endings maintains an iron grip on movies, even in ostensibly independent productions. There’s no such possibility for that in “Civil War.” The very premise of Garland’s movie means that — no matter what happens when or if Lee and the rest reach Washington — a happy ending is impossible, which makes this very tough going. Rarely have I seen a movie that made me so acutely uncomfortable or watched an actor’s face that, like Dunst’s, expressed a nation’s soul-sickness so vividly that it felt like an X-ray.

Civil War Rated R for war violence and mass death. Running time: 1 hour 49 minutes. In theaters.

An earlier version of this review misidentified an organization in the Civil War in the movie. It is the Western Forces, not the Western Front.

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Manohla Dargis is the chief film critic for The Times. More about Manohla Dargis

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The premiere of "Behind Enemy Lines" was held aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. I wonder if it played as a comedy. Its hero is so reckless and its villains so incompetent that it's a showdown between a man begging to be shot, and an enemy that can't hit the side of a Bos-nian barn. This is not the story of a fugitive trying to sneak through enemy terrain and be rescued, but of a movie character magically transported from one photo opportunity to another.

Owen Wilson stars as Burnett, a hot-shot Navy flier who "signed up to be a fighter pilot--not a cop on a beat no one cares about." On a recon mission over Bosnia, he and his partner Stackhouse ( Gabriel Macht ) venture off mission and get digital photos of a mass grave and illegal troop movements. It's a Serbian operation in violation of a fresh peace treaty, and the Serbs fire two missiles to bring the plane down.

The plane's attempts to elude the missiles supply the movie's high point. The pilots eject. Stackhouse is found by Tracker ( Vladimir Mashkov ), who tells his commander Lokar ( Olek Krupa ) to forget about a big pursuit and simply allow him to track Burnett. That sets up the cat-and-mouse game in which Burnett wanders through open fields, stands on the tops of ridges and stupidly makes himself a target, while Tracker is caught in one of those nightmares where he runs and runs but just can't seem to catch up.

Back on the USS Vinson, Admiral Reigart ( Gene Hackman ) is biting his lower lip. He wants to fly in and rescue Burnett, but is blocked by his NATO superior, Admiral Piquet (Joaquim de Almeida)--a Frenchman who is so devious he substitutes French NATO troops for Americans in a phony rescue mission, and calls them off just when Burnett is desperately waving from a pickup area. Bet you a shiny new dime that when this movie plays in France, Admiral Piquet becomes an Italian.

The first-time director is John Moore , who has made lots of TV commercials, something we intuit in a scene where Reigart orders Burnett to proceed to another pick-up area, and Burnett visualizes fast-motion whooshing tracking shots up and down mountains and through valleys before deciding, uh-uh, he ain't gonna do that.

What Burnett does do is stroll through Bosnia like a bird watcher, exposing himself in open areas and making himself a silhouette against the skyline. He's only spotted in the first place because when his buddy is cornered, he's hiding safely but utters a loud involuntary yell and then starts to run up an exposed hillside. First rule of not getting caught: No loud involuntary yells within the hearing of the enemy.

This guy is a piece of work. Consider the scene where Burnett substitutes uniforms with a Serbian fighter. He even wears a black ski mask covering his entire face. He walks past a truck of enemy troops, and then what does he do? Why, he removes the ski mask, revealing his distinctive blond hair, and then he turns back toward the truck so we can see his face, in case we didn't know who he was. How did this guy get through combat training? Must have been a social promotion to keep him with his age group.

At times Burnett is pursued by the entire Serbian army, which fires at him with machine guns, rifles and tanks, of course never hitting him. The movie recycles the old howler where hundreds of rounds of ammo miss the hero, but all he has to do is aim and fire, and--pow! another bad guy jerks back, dead. I smiled during the scene where Admiral Reigart is able to use heat-sensitive satellite imagery to look at high-res silhouettes of Burnett stretched out within feet of the enemy. Maybe this is possible. What I do not believe is that the enemies in this scene could not spot the American uniform in a pile of enemy corpses.

Do I need to tell you that the ending involves a montage of rueful grins, broad smiles, and meaningful little victorious nods, scored with upbeat rock music? No, probably not.

And of course we get shots of the characters and are told what happened to them after the story was over--as if this is based on real events. It may have been inspired by the adventures of Air Force pilot Scott O'Grady, who was rescued after being shot down over Bosnia in 1995, but based on real life, it's not.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Behind Enemy Lines (2001)

Rated PG-13 For War Violence and Some Language

Owen Wilson as Burnett

Joaquim De Almeida as Piquet

Vladimir Mashkov as Tracker

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‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ Review: Guy Ritchie’s Cheeky WWII Caper Is His Best Movie Since ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’

David ehrlich.

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Cinematic universes may be on the decline, but Guy Ritchie has just stumbled upon the potential for a fun one with his frequently amusing “ The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare ,” a light and sloppy World War II caper that reimagines Winston Churchill (Rory Kinnear) as Nick Fury, and a series of rakish, Nazi-killing brutes as his own personal Avengers.

“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” might boast that it’s based on the true story of Operation Postmaster, the details of which were only declassified in 2016 (at which point they were immediately made into fodder for the lurid Damien Lewis book on which this movie is based, “Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII”), but aside from the fact that some of its characters are historical figures, and that World War II is a thing that actually happened, Ritchie’s film plays so fast and loose with the facts that it makes “Inglourious Basterds” feel like a Ken Burns documentary by comparison.

That starts with the movie’s charisma bomb of a prologue, in which commando Gus March-Phillipps (a burly and bearded Henry Cavill, aces as the the most debonair savage in Britain) and his absolute unit of a wingman Anders Lassen (“Reacher” star Alan Richson, making a serious bid for the Redbox hall of fame) pose as a pair of Swedish fishermen as a sniveling Nazi commander boards their boat on the open seas. Our heroes are not scared. In fact, these devil-may-care squaddies seem to laugh at the face of death (and maybe flirt with each other at the same time?), toying with the Nazis like a pair of overgrown little boys playing with their food.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, as Churchill will eventually dub this rogues’ gallery of operatives in the big “I’m putting together a team” moment he gets in the movie’s final scene, is sailing its way to the neutral Spanish island of Fernando Po, which is off the coast of West Africa in the Gulf of Guinea. And the Germans aren’t their only threat; the Ministry’s extralegal mission is so classified that Churchill himself would have to disavow any involvement in the event that March-Phillipps were caught, which means that even the British Navy might blow our heroes out of the water as they fight to help win the war. What a sticky wicket!

“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” is all swagger and no style, but the Appleyard rescue that caps off the first act delivers enough ultra-violent preposterousness to get the job done on attitude alone, and to suggest what this movie could have been had Richie been afforded a budget half as muscular as his cast. Cavill is having a blast as a kleptomaniac killing machine who doesn’t think twice about strolling into a Nazi bunker (and then stealing some Nazi clothes for good measure), and Ritchson — playing the most surgical archer this side of Legolas — is almost indescribably charming as the sweetest and most violent human being you’ve ever seen. His performance is like watching a puppy carve a Nazi’s heart out of his body and then bring it to you as a present.

Be that as it may, Ritchie pumps this story full of enough cheeky rodomontade that it’s able to stay afloat on the strength of its own meat-headed bluster, and eventually sail back to England on the residual breeze of the better movie it could have been. But “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” is fun, and that’s enough to make you wish that Richie’s next mid-budget action movie — which has already wrapped filming, and will find him reuniting with Cavill and González once again — allowed him to build on the success of this one instead of forcing him to start over from scratch.

Lionsgate will release “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” in theaters on Friday, April 19.

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Dark, smart mystery. This movie is quite confusing. Violence 2/10. An intense car crash, two people die. They're bodies are not seen. Sex 7/10. Many shots of nudity. Women are seen masturbating, dancing nude. A couple has sex numerous times, once with more explicit nudity, breasts.
Movie Review: Enemy (2013)
Mysteries abound, but one thing is for certain: You can't trust the spiders. As Enemy so elegantly and eerily declares, they don't trust us, either. Critical Movie Critic Rating: 4. Movie Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) Movie Review: The Art of the Steal (2013) Tagged: actor, college, novel adaptation, teacher.
Enemy, review: 'a suggestive puzzle-box'
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Sarah Gadon, Mélanie Laurent, Isabella Rossellini. 15 cert, 90 min. Prisoners director Denis Villeneuve brings us a weird, intriguing tchotchke of a thriller, built ...
Companion (2021) Review
The result is a film that mixes elements of action films, horror movies and dramas, sometimes all at once. Darbonne's script walks a fine line at times, trying not to let one of the film's elements drown out the others, and it mostly succeeds. The human-on-human violence is well done and frequently looks painful rather than just bloody.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: 10 Similar Movies You'll Like
In a dazzling fusion of history and humor, 'The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' thrusts audiences into the heart of World War II espionage with a cheeky twist. Directed and co-written by the master of cinematic flair, Guy Ritchie, the film breathes new life into Damien Lewis's tale of Churchill's Secret Warriors. Drawing inspiration from actual […]
Disney+: Every Movie & TV Show Arriving in May 2024
Throughout their adventures in the TARDIS - a time-traveling ship shaped like a police box - they encounter incredible friends and dangerous foes, including a terrifying bogeyman, and the ...
'Civil War' Review: We Have Met the Enemy and It Is Us. Again
One thing that remains familiar amid these ruins is the movie's old-fashioned faith in journalism. Dunst, who's sensational, plays Lee, a war photographer who works for Reuters alongside her ...
Raazi Movie Review: An Excellent Film That Humanizes The Enemy
11 May 2018, 2:52 am. Director: Meghna Gulzar. Cast: Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Soni Razdan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Shishir Sharma, Rajit Kapoor. The word "mulk" - meaning, nation - is repeated several times in Raazi. Close your eyes, and it won't be clear which side of the border it's coming from. And for most part, it won't even matter.
Behind Enemy Lines movie review (2001)
The premiere of "Behind Enemy Lines" was held aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. I wonder if it played as a comedy. Its hero is so reckless and its villains so incompetent that it's a showdown between a man begging to be shot, and an enemy that can't hit the side of a Bos-nian barn. This is not the story of a fugitive trying to sneak through enemy terrain and be rescued, but of a ...
'The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' Review: Guy Ritchie's Cheeky
That starts with the movie's charisma bomb of a prologue, in which commando Gus March-Phillipps (a burly and bearded Henry Cavill, aces as the the most debonair savage in Britain) and his ...
Animal Review: Unhinged, Violent, with a Power-Packed Performance by
Animal is unhinged — as in, like a door swinging without its hinges, lubrication, or jamb; directionless, reckless, without design, only gravity (maybe not even that) and the propulsive force of its splintered wood.. It is writer-director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's revenge-bod after Arjun Reddy (2017) and Kabir Singh (2019), his rebound that is designed to make this ex look smaller, frailer.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) Movie Reviews
Based upon recently declassified files of the British War Department and inspired by true events, THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE is an action-comedy that tells the story of the first-ever special forces organization formed during WWII by UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a small group of military officials including author Ian Fleming.

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The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: 10 Similar Movies You’ll Like

10. The Guns of Navarone (1961)

9. The Eagle Has Landed (1976)

8. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

7. Anthropoid (2016)

6. Defiance (2008)

5. U-571 (2000)