We Are Our Own, by Reed Lackey

They used to tell me something about spiders when I was a kid—something they still say, actually: “They’re more afraid of you than you are of them.” I never believed that for a second. Sure, I was a giant in their world, but they had the ability to hide and the speed and the fangs. They were venomous.

Something else “they” used to tell me growing up—whoever “they” happened to be—was not to be my own worst enemy in life. They meant, of course, that people have a tendency to sabotage the good things in their life, whether they do so intentionally or not. This idea is explored in both literal and metaphorical ways in Enemy, last year’s film by Denis Villeneuve starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

The film extends from a relatively simple idea: that a man (Adam) who sees his exact double (Anthony) in an independent film he’s watching tries to establish contact with him. The results of the encounter are devastating and disturbing. The impression is given that Adam and Anthony might be two halves of the same person, but the film intentionally leaves a great deal open to interpretation, and the symbolism both visually and in the events that play out is so complex that it would be almost disrespectful of me to say that I had the movie figured out.

But I will tell you what it evoked in me. It reminded me of the literal thousands of conversations I’ve had with myself in my head over whether or not I was doing the right thing. It reminded me of the nasty thoughts I’ve battled with in my head over my failures, my ambitions, and my missed opportunities. It reminded me of the times I’ve surprised myself, been proud of myself, and even feared myself. If Adam and Anthony are, in fact, one person in two parts, then Enemy might just be the greatest story of dual natures since Jekyll and Hyde. It is terrifyingly effective.

The differences between Adam and Anthony are as striking as their similarities, but the feeling that only one of them can survive builds steadily through the film. How they look and sound are identical, but what they want and how they plan to get it are where the real conflict lies. The biggest casualties in this conflict seem to be the women in their lives. Adam’s girlfriend and Anthony’s wife are definitely not the same person, though they look strikingly similar to each other, but they are both caught between the desires of two personalities. They come to represent commitment versus passionate desire and you get the distinct impression only one of them can survive as well.

Because, you see, humans are venomous creatures too. We often don’t recognize our own destructive power. We don’t realize the capacity we have to poison our blessings because sometimes the situations and relationships we find ourselves in feel too huge and overwhelming to us and out of our fear of losing ourselves somewhere inside of them, we strike.

The final scene of Enemy ranks among the most startling and terrifying moments I’ve ever seen in a film. I’m resisting every impulse to spoil it for you, but whether or not you’ve seen it, I’ll just say this: They say that they are more afraid of you than you are of them.

It’s really hard to believe, but maybe they’re right.