Enemy (2013)

You will finish Enemy, stare at the black screen, and ask an empty room what just happened. That’s the deal Denis Villeneuve offers: 91 minutes of mood, one face twice, and an ending built to start arguments. Jake Gyllenhaal plays both Adam, a mumbling history teacher, and Anthony, a cocky actor, and the trick works because their posture does most of the talking. Adam slouches like an apology. Anthony walks like he owns the hallway. Toronto has never looked less friendly, drowned in a mustard-yellow haze with power lines crisscrossing the sky. Sarah Gadon is the standout as Helen, Anthony’s wife, who senses something is off long before either man does. The weakness is that the movie hides almost everything, so there isn’t much story, just dread and symbols. Spiders show up in places spiders should not be. It made $3.47 million worldwide. A 7.2 because it’s an eerie puzzle that sticks to you for days. $398 says you look yourself up online after this, just to make sure no actor out there is walking around with your face.

What works: Gyllenhaal’s two distinct performances and the sickly yellow Toronto that makes every scene feel like a bad dream.

What doesn’t: There’s very little actual story, and the symbolism is so locked down that some viewers will just feel shut out.

Who it’s for: Puzzle-movie fans who love reading theories online after the credits roll.