Enemy of the State (1998)

Enemy of the State is a 1998 American action-thriller film directed by Tony Scott, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and written by David Marconi. The film stars Will Smith and Gene Hackman, with Jon Voight, Lisa Bonet, Gabriel Byrne, Loren Dean, Jake Busey, Barry Pepper, and Regina King in supporting roles. The film tells the story of a group of NSA agents conspiring to kill a Congressman and the cover up that ensues after a tape of the murder is discovered.

The film was released on November 20, 1998 in the U.S. and worldwide. Enemy of the State garnered generally positive reviews from film critics and audiences, with many praising the writing and direction as well as the chemistry between Smith and Hackman.

NSA official Thomas Bryan Reynolds meets with U.S. Congressman Phil Hammersley in a public park to discuss support for a new piece of counterterrorismlegislation the U.S. Congress is pushing that dramatically expands the surveillance powers of intelligence agencies over individuals and groups. Hammersley remains committed to blocking its passage, since he believes it would almost totally destroy the privacy of American citizens. Reynolds, determined to have the bill pass so as to gain a long-delayed and anticipated promotion within the NSA, has his team murder Hammersley, spread heart pills over his car, place his body in the car and push it in a lake so that the cause of death would be a heart attack. In the aftermath, they discover that wildlife researcher Daniel Zavits had a camera aimed in the woods at their location. Zavits inspects the footage and, realizing he has captured the congressman's murder, calls a journalist he knows. The call is monitored by Reynolds's team who attempt to break into Zavits' apartment to retrieve the tape. Realizing he is in danger, Zavits transfers the video to a disc before fleeing the apartment ahead of Reynolds's men.

Zavits bumps into an old college friend, labor lawyer Robert Clayton Dean, and slips the disc into his shopping bag without his knowledge. Shortly after, Zavits is killed when he collides with a fire truck on a stolen bicycle. When the NSA discovers that Dean might have the video, Reynolds' team raids his house and plants surveillance devices. They then disseminate false evidence to implicate Dean of working with the family of mafia kingpin Paulie Pintero and having an affair with ex-girlfriend Rachel Banks. The subterfuge destroys Dean's life: he is dismissed from his job, his bank accounts are frozen, and his wife Carla throws him out of the house.

Dean believes Pintero is behind the smear campaign as revenge for a prior case, with help from Banks' secretive contact Brill. Dean sets up a meet with Brill, to which the NSA sends an impostor, but the real Brill rescues Dean. Brill explains that his pursuers are NSA agents and rids him of tracking devices hidden in his clothing. With Dean and Brill in hiding, the NSA agents kill Banks and frame Dean for the murder.

Dean obtains the disc and Brill identifies Reynolds in the recovered video, but the disc is destroyed during an escape from an NSA raid. Brill, whose real name is Edward Lyle, tells Dean of his past as a communications expert; he was stationed in Iran during the Iranian Revolution; his partner, Rachel's father, was killed, but Lyle made it out and has been in hiding since. Lyle tries to coax Dean into running away, but Dean is adamant about clearing his name.

Dean and Lyle trail another supporter of the surveillance bill, U.S. Congressman Sam Albert, videotaping him having an affair with his aide. Dean and Lyle "hide" one of the NSA's bugs in Albert's room so Albert will find it and have the NSA start an investigation into Albert's tapping. Lyle also deposits money into Reynolds's bank account to make it appear that he is taking bribes, putting pressure on Reynolds.

Lyle contacts Reynolds to set up a meeting to exchange the video and get Reynolds to incriminate himself. Reynolds' men instead ambush the meeting and hold Lyle and Dean at gunpoint, demanding the tape. Dean tells them that the Hammersley murder footage is in the hands of Pintero, understanding Pintero's restaurant is under FBI surveillance. Dean, Reynolds, and the NSA team enter Pintero's restaurant. With the use of ambiguous language, Dean convinces Pintero that Reynolds is after the incriminating video Dean blackmailed him with and the encounter turns into a massive gunfight that kills the mobsters, Reynolds, and several members of his NSA team. During this ordeal, Lyle uses subterfuge and acting to goad FBI surveillance that Pintero is kidnapping cops, prompting a raid. Lyle escapes while the FBI rescues Dean and uncovers the entire conspiracy.

The U.S. Congress is forced to abandon the bill to avoid a national scandal, although they cover up the NSA's involvement to preserve the agency's reputation. Dean is cleared of all the charges and is reunited with his wife. Lyle leaves Dean a "goodbye" message via his TV as he is watching, showing himself relaxing in a tropical location.