Enemy of the State

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Enemy of the State

R

Released Nov 20, 1998

2h 7m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

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84 Reviews

78%

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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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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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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Decent thriller; not suitable for kids.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 24, 2010

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Michael Gaither

Santa Cruz Sentinel

Scott creates suspense by utilizing believable technology and realistic, well-grounded characters.

Rated: B+

Mar 25, 2020

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Tim M

It gets more preposterous the longer the chase ensues, but thanks to Tony Scott's steady direction, Enemy of the State remains thoroughly watchable.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/03/25

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Mark B

Solid smart thriller with top notch acting.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/29/25

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Tony Scott

Director

Will Smith

Robert Clayton Dean

Gene Hackman

Edward 'Brill' Lyle

Jon Voight

Thomas Brian Reynolds

Lisa Bonet

Rachel F. Banks

Regina King

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Enemy of the State: Trailer 1

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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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