Enemy of the State (1998) – Nostalgia Central

The Fugitive meets The Conversation in this high-octane political action-thriller that’s both intriguing and scarily thought-provoking.

When an incriminating tape revealing the murder of Congressman Phillip Hammersley (Jason Robards) accidentally ends up in the hands of successful Washington, DC lawyer Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith), he finds his life is systematically destroyed as he is pursued by corrupt NSA official, Thomas Reynolds (Jon Voight) and his posse of electronic trackers, who use spy satellites, transmitters and all kinds of undercover gizmos to trace him.

The NSA freezes Dean’s bank accounts, ruins his credit, leaks a fake affair with his ex-girlfriend Rachel Banks (Lisa Bonet), and forces his firm to fire him. The NSA then murders Rachel, framing Dean for her death.

Only retired spook and surveillance expert Edward “Brill” Lyle (Gene Hackman) can help the desperate Smith to survive by evading the high-tech government tracking.

Expert direction by Tony Scott and a winning central performance by Will Smith give this cracking conspiracy thriller plenty of edge and appeal.

Robert Clayton Dean
Will Smith
Edward “Brill” Lyle
Gene Hackman
Thomas Reynolds
Jon Voight
Rachel Banks
Lisa Bonet
Carla Dean
Regina King
Congressman Albert
Stuart Wilson
Christa Hawkins
Laura Cayouette
Hicks
Loren Dean
David Pratt
Barry Pepper
Bingham
Ian Hart
Krug
Jake Busey
Jones
Scott Caan
Zavitz
Jason Lee
Fake Brill
Gabriel Byrne
Jerry Miller
James Le Gros
Shaffer
Dan Butler
Fiedler
Jack Black
Jamie
Jamie Kennedy
Van
Bodhi Elfman
Davis
Jacob Chambers
Martha
Alexandra Balahoutis
Emily Reynolds
Anna Gunn
Eric Dean
Jascha Washington
Marie the Nanny
Rebeca Silva
Dylan
Bobby Boriello
Mike
Carl Mergenthaler
Ruthie
Elizabeth Berman
Boss Paulie Pintero
Tom Sizemore
Mr Wu
Albert Wong
Mrs Wu
Nancy Yee
Daniel Zavitz
Jason Lee
Attorney Mark Silverberg
Philip Baker Hall
Congressman Phillip Hammersley
Jason Robards

Director
Tony Scott