Written and directed by Erdeniz Tunç, a man (Sarper Oral) wakes alone on the ground, in the middle of a deserted street, with no idea of what awaits him.
Enemy opens on a classic shot from horror and sci-fi history, angled from the floor with a minimal perspective to get an immediate sense of disorientation and fear. It then capitalises on that atmosphere with its continued style, it creates a fractured feel to emphasise the confusion and lost feelings of its character. It moves in such a way that the story gradually pieces itself together bit by bit, taking its time to reveal the bigger picture. The red tone to its visual does mean that it has to remain on one note throughout but at the same time it does feel fitting and familiar, in a way that helps to build the atmosphere of its horror, sci-fi blend. It’s one of several examples of how Tunç uses simple but effective techniques with his directorial style to inject tension and a feeling of imminent danger.
There’s no dialogue to be found and only one singular character featured so it’s fair to say that a smaller portion of the film’s impression rests on the writing’s shoulders. The pieces of its story are fairly simple, you find yourself waiting for it to divulge more but that never really happens. It could have split its time more effectively and added a couple of elements to its plot to create a more lasting impression for its viewers. It does work as it stands but adding a layer or two could have made for a more satisfying experience, rather than only having one real card to play.
It’s hard to judge the solo performance from Oral here, there’s not a lot for him to get his teeth into. It’s more of a physical role than one of emotions but that said, he does hold a certain presence that allows you to sympathise with him. You may not know anything about him but it’s easy to relate to his character, finding himself in an unknown, dangerous situation. This brief appearance does also manage to feed into the tone that the film sets, particularly with the elements of fear and isolation.
Enemy taps into a familiar feel from its sci-fi, horror roots, bringing a sense of fear, isolation and desolation. Its story could have potentially been developed a touch to create more impactful viewing but it uses simple, effective ways to inject a sincere tension to the film. Everything works together well, it simply needed a couple of extra touches to push it further.
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