Criminally Underrated is a series here at The Nerds Templar where we take a look at movies that are, well, criminally underrated. Maybe they weren’t box office hits, but gained a cult following later on with home video or streaming. Maybe they are films from big named directors/stars that don’t get the credit they deserve compared to their other films, but are just as good if not better. For whatever reason, they are criminally underrated.
Synopsis: A lawyer becomes targeted by a corrupt politician and his N.S.A. goons when he accidentally receives key evidence to a politically motivated crime.
I hadn’t seen Enemy of the State in probably 20 years. I remember enjoying it back in the day and it’s one of Will Smith’s less talked about 1990s films. Plus Gene Hackman is in it and you can never go wrong with one of the best actors of all time so I popped in my DVD that I’ve had for probably the same 20 years.
Despite coming out in 1998, it’s as timely and relevant as any movie from today. Its release was three years before 9/11 and its resulting Patriot Act which allowed our government to increase its capability to get information from anyone…sorry I mean “bad guys”. Our government totally doesn’t spy on its own people or allies, please don’t put me on another watch list. That’s my takeaway from rewatching the film, it’s amazing how accurate the story became. Smith’s character is a lawyer who gets caught up in a political scandal when an old Georgetown friend (Jason Lee) gives him a copy of a video showing Jon Voight’s character having a politician killed. It’s a political and technological thriller that could easily be the latest James Reece book from Jack Carr or a Mitch Rapp story from the late Vince Flynn. It could be about Jack Ryan or Jason Bourne or Jack Bauer. Technology plus political power equals fantastic story, why we over complicate that sometimes is beyond me.
What separates the film from similar thrillers is the talent involved. Smith was crushing the 90s with films like Independence Day, Bad Boys and Men in Black when this came out. He had really good chemistry with Hackman in this and the third act is solid because of it. Even late into his 60s at this point, Hackman is 100% believable as a former N.S.A. agent gone underground. Jon Voight as a sleazy character is never a bad thing. Plus it’s also known for having a lot of big named actors early in their careers like Jack Black, Scott Caan, Barry Pepper, Jamie Kennedy, Seth Green, Jake Busey, Regina King, Anna Gunn and more. It also features some fantastic character and supporting actors like Tom Sizemore, Philip Baker Hall, Jason Robards and Gabriel Byrne.
Then there’s the late Tony Scott. Tony may have never gotten the prestige and accolades his brother Ridley has, but the man made, as the kids say, bangers. Tony Scott is criminally underrated himself with hits like Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, Days of Thunder, True Romance, and his run with Denzel Washington including Crimson Tide, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123 and Unstoppable. Tony Scott should be remembered as one of the greatest action movie directors of all time and I wish we were still getting flicks from him today.
Sure some of the hacking and technology is outdated today because of smartphones and the availability of the internet everywhere, but Enemy of the State is still very watchable and educational in 2024. Big Brother has been and always will be watching and if the past few years have taught us anything, politicians and those paying for their lifestyles aren’t above ruining someone’s life, or worse, ending it. A 2024 version would include social media and text messages, but the idea of the government spying on you will always be relevant. If you haven’t watched it in a long time or never at all, give Enemy of the State a try.
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