The Abbotsford Film Society (AFS) screens Denis Villeneuve’s Enemy on Friday, March 14.
A psychological thriller, Enemy is the last Canadian film directed by Villeneuve before he went on to become one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood, known for films like Arrival, Bladerunner 2049, Dune 1 and Dune 2.
“One of the mandates of the film society is to screen Canadian films, and we feel that Enemy is an important landmark in Canadian cinema,” said Aaron Dawson, AFS president.
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as two men, Adam and Anthony, who appear to be physically identical but are very different in personality. What is not clear is whether these are actually two different people or if they are two sides of a single person.
“In an interview, Villeneuve talked about wanting to create a film that explored the subconscious and how to live your life without repeating the same mistakes,” Dawson said. “The film is a dark, surreal, mind-bending drama.”
Enemy premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2013. The film received positive reviews and went on to earn 10 nominations at the second Canadian Screen Awards, winning five, including best director for Villeneuve.
It was named Best Canadian film of the Year at the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards in 2014.
