Enemy of the State
Movie, 1998, 1996–1999
Enemy of the State is #25 of 26 in release order and #23 of 26 in chronological order in the '90s Action.
The story
When the videotape of the murder of a congressman unknowingly ends up in the hands of labor lawyer and dedicated family man Robert Clayton Dean, he is framed for the murder. With the help of the mysterious Brill, Dean attempts to throw the NSA off his trail and prove his innocence.
Enemy of the State recap
NSA official Thomas Reynolds has a congressman murdered for opposing a surveillance bill, and a wildlife camera records it. The biologist who filmed it, fleeing NSA agents, slips the disk into the bag of an old acquaintance, the Washington labour lawyer Robert Clayton Dean, before being killed. The NSA turns Dean's life upside down, freezing his accounts, leaking false stories and costing him his job and marriage. Dean finds Brill, a paranoid former NSA operative who lives off the grid. Brill teaches him to dodge surveillance and turns the NSA's own tools against Reynolds, recording him and bugging a congressman.
Enemy of the State ending explained
Reynolds captures Brill. Dean leads Reynolds's team to a restaurant owned by the mob boss Pintero, whom Dean has also been chasing, and convinces each side the other has the tape. The shootout kills Reynolds, his men and Pintero's gang. Dean is cleared and the bill dies. Brill disappears to a tropical island and sends Dean a message on television.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Enemy of the State
Enemy of the State is streaming on Prime Video in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 71%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Ronin, before The Matrix.
- Chronological order: after Ronin, before Demolition Man.
Cast
- Will Smith as Robert Clayton Dean
- Gene Hackman as Brill
- Jon Voight as Reynolds
- Regina King as Carla Dean
- Loren Dean as Hicks
- Jake Busey as Krug
- Barry Pepper as Pratt
- Jason Lee as Daniel Zavitz
- Gabriel Byrne as 'Brill'
- Lisa Bonet as Rachel Banks
- Stuart Wilson as Congressman Albert
- Laura Cayouette as Christa Hawkins
Directed by Tony Scott.