
Enemy Mine
6.8
61%
59
7.0
After a human pilot and his alien wartime rival crash on a deadly planet, survival becomes the unlikely foundation for interspecies friendship.
Ember's analysis
- MoodWarm
- EnergyIntense
- PacingBrisk
- IntensityModerate
- ComplexityEasy to follow
- ViolenceModerate
More about the film
Overview
A soldier from Earth crashlands on an alien world after sustaining battle damage. Eventually he encounters another survivor, but from the enemy species he was fighting; they band together to survive on this hostile world. In the end the human finds himself caring for his enemy in a completely unexpected way.
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film's production design, effects, performances, and central chemistry appealing, but considered its overextended story and simplistic anti-war message limiting.
What sets it apart
- Willis Davidge and Jeriba Shigan begin as wartime enemies but must cooperate on Fyrine IV, making their changing relationship the film's emotional core.
- The crash strands a human pilot and a Drac pilot on an inhospitable planet where cooperation is necessary to resist natural threats.
- The intergalactic conflict and Davidge's enforced partnership with a sworn enemy frame the story as a direct critique of perpetual warfare.
- The Dracs, Fyrine IV, and the film's production design create a distinctive visual identity beyond its space-battle premise.
Films like Enemy Mine, and why
- The AbyssShared military science fiction setting, human-alien conflict, and anti-war themes centered on uneasy cooperation.
- The MartianShared stranded-survival premise, hostile extraterrestrial environment, and gradual trust between initially opposed characters.
- District 9Shared science fiction adventure, interspecies empathy, and themes of prejudice overcoming inherited conflict.
- The Last StarfighterShared space-war backdrop, emotional human-alien bonding, and earnest anti-conflict message.
Movie Details
- Director
- Wolfgang Petersen
- Release Date
- 1985-12-12
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (1153)
Common questions
- What is Enemy Mine about?
- After a human pilot and his alien wartime rival crash on a deadly planet, survival becomes the unlikely foundation for interspecies friendship.
- What is Enemy Mine like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Enemy Mine as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Enemy Mine violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Enemy Mine as moderate.
- What did critics think of Enemy Mine?
- Critics broadly found the film's production design, effects, performances, and central chemistry appealing, but considered its overextended story and simplistic anti-war message limiting.
- Which films are like Enemy Mine?
- Films with a similar feel include The Abyss, The Martian, District 9, and The Last Starfighter.
- How long is Enemy Mine?
- Enemy Mine runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch Enemy Mine?
- In United States, Enemy Mine streams on fuboTV.
Cast
- Wolfgang PetersenDirector
- Dennis QuaidWillis Davidge
- Louis Gossett Jr.Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan
- Brion JamesStubbs
- Richard MarcusArnold
- Carolyn McCormickMorse
- Lance KerwinJoey Wooster
- Bumper RobinsonZammis
- Jim MappOld Drac
- Scott KraftJonathan
- Lou MichaelsWilson



















