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Enemy of the State

Play trailer 2:01 Poster for Enemy of the State R Released Nov 20, 1998 2h 7m Mystery & Thriller Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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71% Tomatometer 84 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Corrupt National Security Agency official Thomas Reynolds (Jon Voight) has a congressman assassinated to assure the passage of expansive new surveillance legislation. When a videotape of the murder ends up in the hands of Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith), a labor lawyer and dedicated family man, he is framed for murder. With the help of ex-intelligence agent Edward "Brill" Lyle (Gene Hackman), Dean attempts to throw Reynolds off his trail and prove his innocence.
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Enemy of the State

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Critics Consensus

An entertaining, topical thriller that finds director Tony Scott on solid form and Will Smith confirming his action headliner status.

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Critics Reviews

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Nell Minow Common Sense Media Decent thriller; not suitable for kids. Rated: 3/5 Dec 24, 2010 Full Review Lisa Alspector Chicago Reader [Its] spirited action is balanced by an almost contemplative attitude toward surveillance phobias and the movie cliches they've spawned. Mar 30, 2009 Full Review Time Out Add Smith's lippy innocent and a host of subcontracted indie fresh faces, and you have the Bruckheimer formula: loud, lavish, seemingly efficient; over-large, over-long, over-plotted. Safe and sorry. Jan 26, 2006 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand It’s a shame to see a film about the intelligence community executed with so little intelligence but it’s a fun ride. Aug 19, 2023 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Far ahead of its time in educating society on its rapidly diminishing freedoms from governmental scrutiny, the screenplay favorably manages not to forget to entertain. Rated: 7/10 Sep 11, 2020 Full Review Michael Gaither Santa Cruz Sentinel Scott creates suspense by utilizing believable technology and realistic, well-grounded characters. Rated: B+ Mar 25, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alain E Still can’t stand Will Smith who constantly appears in love with himself. The first five minutes of this oeuvre was enough for me. In the introduction some bad guys press a politician to vote a particular way and when he refuses they kill him. Presumably no one will replace him. In the next scene Will Smith Esq asks a secretary to send someone a case of Chianti. Chianti is an Italian wine made by different producers and at many price levels. A sophisticated lawyer would know what to send. Otherwise it is like ordering “a glass of red wine “. Yes, attention to detail is what makes a movie believable. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 04/18/25 Full Review Cork B Tense, fast paced thriller with Will Smith and Gene Hackman. What could go wrong? Movie is well done, although it was filmed for ADHD afflicted meth junkies. I think probably the biggest ding is the premise is dated. In modern day America, the govt is spying on us and taking away our civil liberties! Yeah, so? The NSA killed a senator! Yeah, so? They do that stuff all the time. Yikers! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/29/25 Full Review Christian K It's alright, it feels repetitive through some its scenes and the ending shootout resolution does not really mesh well with the tech fueled surveillance plot it focused on during its entire runtime. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/13/25 Full Review Daniel H A thriller ahead of its time, Enemy of the State remains impactful with its story of surveillance and conspiracy. Will Smith and Gene Hackman shine in a tense plot where technology is both a threat and a tool for protection. Today, modern surveillance systems help enhance security, reminding us of the thin line between privacy and control. https://chicagosecuritypros.com/ Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/07/25 Full Review David H Not a bad film. Gene Hackman is always good, and Will Smith is OK. I'm not big on action films, but this one has an intelligent plot going for it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/02/25 Full Review Liam O Probably both Tony Scott and Will Smith’s best for me, of course Gene Hackman (RIP) is always great Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/07/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Enemy of the State

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Movie Info

Synopsis Corrupt National Security Agency official Thomas Reynolds (Jon Voight) has a congressman assassinated to assure the passage of expansive new surveillance legislation. When a videotape of the murder ends up in the hands of Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith), a labor lawyer and dedicated family man, he is framed for murder. With the help of ex-intelligence agent Edward "Brill" Lyle (Gene Hackman), Dean attempts to throw Reynolds off his trail and prove his innocence.
Director
Tony Scott
Producer
Jerry Bruckheimer
Screenwriter
David Marconi
Distributor
Buena Vista International [us], Touchstone Home Video, Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co
Touchstone Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 20, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 4, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$111.5M
Runtime
2h 7m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround
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