Enemy

Enemy

Year: 2014

Runtime: 90 min

Language: English

Director: Denis Villeneuve

MysteryThriller

A university lecturer becomes consumed by an unsettling obsession with a man who looks exactly like him. As he seeks out his doppelganger, a complex and increasingly dangerous relationship develops, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. The encounter triggers a sinister game, leading to escalating stakes and threatening to unravel both of their lives and the world around them.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Enemy yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Enemy (2014)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Enemy (2014). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

The film unfolds in a contemporary setting, mirroring emotional confusion and existential dread that resonate with modern audiences. The story emphasizes themes of identity and the human psyche amidst a backdrop of urban isolation and modern life's mundane routines.

Location

Toronto

Toronto is a bustling metropolis known for its diverse culture and vibrant arts scene. It serves as the backdrop for Adam's monotonous life, filled with teaching and introspection. The city's underground erotic shows add an element of the bizarre, where Adam's obsession and chaos unfold.

🏙️ City 🎭 Underground 🎨 Art

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:40

Main Characters – Enemy (2014)

Meet the key characters of Enemy (2014), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Adam Bell (Jake Gyllenhaal)

Adam is a history professor leading a dreary existence, filled with solitude and monotony. His obsession with Anthony thrusts him into a chilling psychological spiral, challenging his sense of self. As he grapples with his identity and reality, his fixation becomes a double-edged sword.

👨‍🏫 Professor 🧐 Obsessed 😟 Isolated

Helen (Sarah Gadon)

Helen is Anthony's pregnant wife, who becomes embroiled in the unsettling connection between Adam and Anthony. Her initial shock at Adam's resemblance to her husband transforms into confusion and tension, revealing the strain of relationships amidst identity crises.

👩‍👧‍👦 Pregnant 😟 Conflicted 💔 Vulnerable

Mary (Mélanie Laurent)

Mary is Adam's girlfriend, caught in the bizarre web of deception and identity theft orchestrated by Anthony. As tensions rise, she becomes a pawn in the obsession-driven conflict, her well-being becoming collateral in the pursuit of identity and revenge.

❤️ Girlfriend 😨 Misled 🎭 Victim

Anthony Claire (Jake Gyllenhaal)

Anthony is Adam's doppelgänger, a character who embodies the themes of obsession and duality. His life spirals as Adam intrudes upon it, turning a life of performance into one riddled with danger and tragic consequences.

🎭 Actor ⚠️ Manipulative 😱 Troubled

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:40

Major Themes – Enemy (2014)

Explore the central themes of Enemy (2014), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕷️ Identity

Identity is a central theme, explored through Adam's obsession with Anthony, leading to a deep psychological breakdown. Their identical appearances and intertwined lives reflect the quest for self amidst turmoil. The unfolding chaos provokes questions about how identity can be both personal and shared.

💔 Obsession

Obsession seeps into the characters' lives, driving Adam to invade Anthony's world. This fixation leads to a web of destruction, manipulation, and surreal events. The theme underscores the dangers of losing oneself in another's identity, culminating in tragedy.

🚗 Consequences

Consequences of choices, both minor and major, play a crucial role in the story. The tragic car crash serves as a pivotal moment that alters lives irrevocably. This theme highlights how actions can lead to unforeseen and haunting repercussions.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:40

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Slow burn psychological thrillers like Enemy

Stories where a quiet obsession slowly unravels reality and identity.Discover movies like Enemy that master the art of slow burning tension. If you enjoyed Enemy's deliberate pacing and escalating paranoia, this collection features similar psychological thrillers where obsession and dread build methodically, leading to unsettling and ambiguous conclusions.

slow burnparanoidunsettlingpsychologicalclaustrophobicobsessivemenacingatmospheric

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically follow a character's investigation into a seemingly minor mystery or anomaly, which spirals into an all-consuming obsession. The journey is internal, focusing on the protagonist's psychological unraveling as external realities become increasingly unreliable, often culminating in a confrontation with a dark double or a fractured sense of self.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped together because they share a specific rhythm and mood: a slow, deliberate pace that prioritizes atmospheric dread over fast-paced action, a high level of psychological intensity, and a dark tone centered on paranoia and the fragility of identity.

Surreal doppelgänger movies like Enemy

Films where encountering a double triggers a nightmarish battle for self.Find movies similar to Enemy that delve into the theme of doppelgängers and surreal identity crises. If you were fascinated by Enemy's use of a double to explore psychological fragmentation, this list features other complex thrillers and dramas with dreamlike logic and unsettling confrontations with the self.

surrealdreamlikeunsettlingdoppelgangeridentity crisispsychologicalsymbolicmenacing

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a protagonist's life being invaded by a literal or figurative double. This confrontation forces a reckoning with repressed desires, hidden flaws, or a fragmented psyche. The story unfolds with a surreal, often non-linear logic, using visual metaphors to externalize internal conflict, leading to an ending that questions the nature of reality and self.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their central thematic focus on identity dissolution through the doppelgänger motif, their use of surrealism and dreamlike atmospheres to convey psychological states, and their complex, often ambiguous narrative structures that challenge straightforward interpretation.

Unlock the Full Story of Enemy

Don't stop at just watching — explore Enemy in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Enemy is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Enemy Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Enemy, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Enemy Summary

Enemy Timeline

Track the full timeline of Enemy with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Enemy Timeline

Enemy Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Enemy that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Enemy Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Enemy

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Enemy: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Enemy

Similar Movies to Enemy

Discover movies like Enemy that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.