The all-time great Gene Hackman is no longer with us, but some of the actor’s movies are finding a new lease of life in the age of streaming. Following Hackman’s death, the acclaimed sports drama “Hoosiers” climbed the charts on Amazon Prime Video. Meanwhile, “Runaway Jury” became a hit on Netflix, reminding everyone that there are many gems in Hackman’s filmography just waiting to be rediscovered. Well, the momentum isn’t slowing down yet either, as the politically-charged thriller “Enemy of the State” is the latest Hackman flick to kick butt in the streaming charts.
According to FlixPatrol, director Tony Scott’s conspiracy yarn has cracked the top 10 on Amazon Prime Video, with the movie beating stiff competition from “Jurassic World” and “Smile 2.” If you aren’t familiar with “Enemy of the State,” it sees Will Smith play a lawyer-on-the-run as he sets out to clear his name after being framed for a CIA-executed murder on a Congressman. Hackman, meanwhile, portrays a paranoid surveillance whiz who helps Smith’s innocent lawyer along the way, echoing his Harry Caul character from 1974’s “The Conversation.”
“Enemy of the State” is an entertaining hoot with some thought-provoking political commentary sprinkled in for good measure, especially in regard to corruption and the surveillance state. The film also marked an early career role for Smith, who felt blessed to work with his veteran co-star at the time.
Will Smith recalls working with Gene Hackman on Enemy of the State
After the news of Gene Hackman’s death came to light, Will Smith took to Instagram and shared a retrospective clip of himself talking about working with Hackman on “Enemy of the State.” The “Independence Day” actor revealed that his co-star was more than happy to give him advice on the film’s set, but he also learned a lot by observing the veteran performer’s actions:
“At that level, he’s not letting Gene Hackman thoughts enter his mind. He has so many character thoughts that even when he’s not doing anything, his mind is running through the things that the character’s mind would be running through.”
Smith added that he’s applied Hackman’s lessons to other projects he’s worked on following “Enemy of the State,” and it’s worked out well. Smith has enjoyed quite the successful career throughout the years, but we can thank Hackman for helping him out while he was still finding his groove as a blossoming movie star in the ’90s.
