Enemy of the State (1998)

Enemy of the State believes a spy satellite can follow one lawyer around Washington in real time, and in 1998 that was the silly part. Tony Scott shoots it like a triple espresso: flash cuts, glowing monitors, guys in vans yelling coordinates. Will Smith’s Robert Dean is a likable everyman who loses his job, his credit cards and eventually his clothes, which is how he ends up sprinting through a tunnel in a hotel bathrobe, and it’s great physical comedy. Gene Hackman is the engine. His Brill is a paranoid ex-agent hiding in a copper-lined warehouse, growling every line like a man tired of being right. Jon Voight’s NSA boss is pure cardboard, pitching his surveillance bill like a bored lobbyist. The last act ties itself in knots, and Regina King deserved more than worried phone calls. It made $250.8 million worldwide on a reported $90M. A 7.3 because it’s slick, loud fun that aged into something way too believable. $557.86 says you squint at the next helicopter over your house and wave, just in case.

What works: Gene Hackman’s cranky ex-agent and Will Smith’s frantic everyman make a great odd couple, and Tony Scott keeps the chase moving at full speed.

What doesn’t: Jon Voight’s villain is one-dimensional, and the final act piles twist on twist until the plot gets hard to follow.

Who it’s for: Anyone who loves a nineties chase movie with a side of paranoia and a grumpy mentor who trusts nobody.