Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writer: Javier Gullón (Based on The Double by José Saramago)
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Surreal Horror
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon, Isabella Rossellini
Runtime: 90 minutes
Language: English
Box Office: $3.4 million (on a $3.4 million budget)
Filming Location: Toronto, Canada
Overview.
Do not take the sinister persona of the film’s protagonist too lightly. Jak Gyllenhal plays the part of a history professor who is struggling with his stagnant life. He portrays Adam Bell, a Toronto-based educator, residing in the city.
Enemy is a mind bending psychological thriller from Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Arrival, Dune), starring Jake Gyllenhaal in a dual role as two identical looking men whose lives become disturbingly intertwined. The film has received mixed reviews arguing about its plot and psychological factors. Critics also said that the film, which is loosely based on ‘The Double’, faces an identity crisis on account of trying to touch too many subjects.
Plot Synopsis
Helen, played by Sarah Gadon, is Anthony Claire’s wife. He’s a confident man, with a great deal of money, a decent car and of course a pregnant wife. What is not so good about Anthony is that he has an incredibly low sense of morality and profound egotism. Most importantly, he stars in a film where Adam also happens to be set, the latter learns about this from a DVD cover. To his amazement, Anthony looks identical to him. This moment fills him with puzzlement and concern leading him to track Anthony down.
As Adam and Anthony’s lives intersect, their fixation with one another only gets worse. Sensing an opportunity for control, Anthony wants to switch lives and take Adam’s girlfriend Mary (Mélanie Laurent) for himself. This dangerous game of identity theft along with psychological control spirals out of hand into a surrealistic nightmare.
In the cinematic world, portraying the culmination of the themes of the movie, the most disturbing feature is the giant spider that perches itself in the room that Adam inhabits. This, like many other things, leaves the audience in shambles, pondering where the line lies between reality and metaphor.
The film’s most disturbing aspect is, without a doubt, the culmination of various themes that portray Adam’s world as a dark web of identity and control thresholds, revealed by the giant spider that haunts him during the final climax.
Themes & Symbolism
1 . Identity & Duality
The relationship between Adam and Anthony can be best described using the duality principle. Adam is restrained and too submissive and Anthony is extraordinarily dominant without any self-control. The film captivates the audience by revealing what happens when restrained desires are set free.
2 . Power Dynamics & Control
The essence of shifting control between men and women or between reality and delusions is captured in the distinct relationship these two men have with one another.
3 . The Spider Symbolism 🕷️
The dominant symbolism is:
Entanglement & Traps: Adam is trapped within his highly complex cognitive web.
Fear of Commitment: The enormous spider that Adam encounters sums up his worries about marriage and having children.
The Surveillance State: The spider lurking over the city represents the feeling of being watched and controlled.
- Repetition and Cycles
The identity crisis loop is accentuated as the film both begins and ends with the same sequence. This hints the possibility that Adam and Anthony were one and the same person, only doomed to repeat their errors ad infinitum.
Performances and Character Study
Jake Gyllenhaal as Adam Bell/ Anthony Claire
– A career-best performance in the form of a dual role.
Adam: Passive, introverted and dull.
Anthony: Confident, aggressive, hedonistic, and dominant.
Gyllenhaal remotely portrays the characters which leads the audience to question who they actually are.
Mélanie Laurent as Mary
Mary is Adam’s significant other in the realities of his life but her anxiety tells that she recognizes some duality in him.
Sarah Gadon as Helen
Helen is the most emotionally engaging character in the film when her understanding of the true state of matters with her husband or husbands. At the end of the movie, her acceptance of Adam makes it clear that she knows that in his shattered self, there is an essence of empathy.
Isabella Rossellini as Adam’s Mother
Her statement to Adam, “You have to stop living like this,” suggests that perhaps Adam and Anthony were always one being all along and the mother had been aware all along.
Critical Reception and Box Office
Rotten Tomatoes: 71% (Critics) / 64% (Audience Score)
Metacritic: 61 (Generally Favorable Reviews)
Box Office: $3.4 million worldwide
Portrayal of Adam Bell/Anthony Claire in “The Double” was definitely augmented by the same treat shown in Lady World bringing an extra $2.6 million profits. Reviews have been enhanced thanks to their social popularity and vision among the followers.
Positive Reviews:
✔ Jake Gyllenhaal’s Dual Performance – A showcase of beautiful acting without the need for inference.
✔ Discouraging Surrounding – The eerie yellowish tinged surroundings are crafted perfectly, helping to elevate the quality of the nightmare.
✔ Engaging Concepts – Delves into fantasies, aspirations, and the intricacies that revolve around the idea of personal identity.
Contradictions:
❌ Obfuscating and Wrapped Up Story – Some of the audiences felt that the movie was too abstract and outlandish for them to follow it easily.
❌ Telling Sluggishness – Such pace is likely to vex some spectators who assume a standard nail-biting psychological thriller.
❌ Insoluble Enigmas – Several questions linger without clearest resolutions, rendering the movie vague.
Memorable Scenes and the Most Alarming Parts
- Anthony’s Obsession With Adam
Towards the start of the film, the duality of a character in a film starts an alleged obsession, serving as a catalyst to the eerie tone of the film.
- Dream About Spider With Pregnant Legs
One of the scenes that is regarded as one of the most unsettling portions of the film, a giant spider strolls on the legs as Adam watches it with sheer beguilement.
- Confrontation At The Hotel
While Anthony forces Adam to switch their lives around, leaving him in a chilling scenario with Mary where he starts getting her to choke him.
- Car Wreckage
While having intercourse, Mary and Anthony crash the car, which may symbolize Anthony’s defeat.
- Final Part of the Movie – The Spider Adam Encounter
Anticipating a rendezvous with Helen, Adam walks into her quarters, only to be encountered with a gigantic spider while him expression hardly giving an idea as to whether he accepts or resists.
Production and Behind-The-Scenes Notes
Jake Gyllenhaal Shot The Two Roles At Pace Externally – He recorded his parts in separate sessions several weeks apart to help develop differing personas for Adam and Anthony.
Denis Villeneuves Takes On The Film – He has spoken of the movie as “a masculine archetype that discusses the psychological fear of commitment.”
The Spider Symbolism Came from Saramago’s Novel – But Villeneuve developed it further to also symbolize feminine strength and psychological subjugation.
Conclusion: To Watch Or Not To Watch It
✅ You will want to see it if you are interested:
✔ Psychological thrillers that are very complicated (Mulholland Drive, Black Swan, Donnie Darko)
✔ Surrealistic storytelling with much symbolism involved
✔ Films that are intricate enough for you to need multiple viewings
❌ You will want to avoid this film if you are not a fan of:
✖ Films that are abstract and undefined in nature
✖ Slow moving suspense films that are void of most action
✖ Stories that make use of open-ended conclusions with no set themes
Final Verdict: An Eerie, Creepy And Daring Masterpiece
Enemy is one of those movies that stay in your head long after watching it. A chilling ending, an eeriest atmosphere, and Jake Gyllenhaal’s stunning two character performance makes this one unforgettable film for may fans of psychological horror and existential enigmas.