I think most people tend to overlook how well-done the first 20 minutes of this movie really are. Ruben carefully builds a creepy atmosphere, relying on brief glances, moments of silence and quietly expressive performances (especially by Julia Roberts) to help the viewer understand that, behind the image of a perfect couple, something is really wrong. Unfortunately, after Roberts escapes from her husband, the movie turns into a strictly by-the-numbers thriller, where you can predict almost every development of the script. It's a visually polished movie, though, and the very good performances give it a strong psychological center that keeps it above-average.
165 Reviews
Things Are Not Always As They Appear To Be
seymourblack-125 March 2011
Warning: Spoilers
In "Sleeping With The Enemy" things are not always as they appear to be. On the surface, Laura Burney (Julia Roberts) and her husband Martin (Patrick Bergin) are a wealthy and contented couple who enjoy a comfortable lifestyle and spend their leisure time at their luxurious house by the beach at Cape Cod. In reality though, Laura lives in a state of constant fear which has been created by Martin's abusive behaviour.
Martin is a control freak with an obsessive compulsive disorder and a very cold personality. He gets insanely jealous when he imagines that Laura may be attracted to someone else and even exercises control over what clothes she wears. He beats her when her behaviour displeases him and then gives her flowers to show how much he cares about her.
Within this relationship, the terrified Laura appears to be completely obedient and passive but in reality, she has for some time been planning to escape. Her husband knows her as a person who isn't able to swim and has a fear of water. In reality, she's secretly taken swimming lessons and this eventually enables her to fake her own death when the couple are involved in an accident at sea and she falls overboard and disappears.
Laura secretly moves to Cedar Falls in Iowa, changes her name, makes a fresh start and soon meets Ben Woodward (Kevin Anderson) who's a drama teacher at the local college. She enjoys their friendship and also being able to visit her invalid mother at a nearby nursing home.
Martin is under the impression that Laura's mother had passed away some time ago but when he starts to find pieces of information which make him suspect that his wife is still alive, his investigations soon reveal that the reality is somewhat different and that Laura's mother is actually a resident at the nursing home near Cedar Falls.
Laura who seemed to have successfully escaped from her abuser soon discovers that, in reality, her intensely possessive and extremely violent husband will go to any lengths to ensure that she doesn't gain her freedom.
"Sleeping With The Enemy" is an entertaining movie which focuses on a form of violence which is rarely featured in commercial thrillers and maybe it's for this reason that some of scenes in which Laura is beaten seem so shocking, even to audiences whose exposure to on-screen violence has hardened their responses.
Julia Roberts gives a sympathetic performance as a victim of domestic abuse who is trapped in a nightmare from which there seems to be no way out and also convincingly portrays the anxieties which her character continues to experience when she starts her new life in Iowa. Patrick Bergin is believable as a violent psychopath whose need for perfection in all things has grown to an absurd proportion and in addition, Kevin Anderson is good as Ben who in complete contrast to Martin is good natured, sensitive and caring.
Martin is a control freak with an obsessive compulsive disorder and a very cold personality. He gets insanely jealous when he imagines that Laura may be attracted to someone else and even exercises control over what clothes she wears. He beats her when her behaviour displeases him and then gives her flowers to show how much he cares about her.
Within this relationship, the terrified Laura appears to be completely obedient and passive but in reality, she has for some time been planning to escape. Her husband knows her as a person who isn't able to swim and has a fear of water. In reality, she's secretly taken swimming lessons and this eventually enables her to fake her own death when the couple are involved in an accident at sea and she falls overboard and disappears.
Laura secretly moves to Cedar Falls in Iowa, changes her name, makes a fresh start and soon meets Ben Woodward (Kevin Anderson) who's a drama teacher at the local college. She enjoys their friendship and also being able to visit her invalid mother at a nearby nursing home.
Martin is under the impression that Laura's mother had passed away some time ago but when he starts to find pieces of information which make him suspect that his wife is still alive, his investigations soon reveal that the reality is somewhat different and that Laura's mother is actually a resident at the nursing home near Cedar Falls.
Laura who seemed to have successfully escaped from her abuser soon discovers that, in reality, her intensely possessive and extremely violent husband will go to any lengths to ensure that she doesn't gain her freedom.
"Sleeping With The Enemy" is an entertaining movie which focuses on a form of violence which is rarely featured in commercial thrillers and maybe it's for this reason that some of scenes in which Laura is beaten seem so shocking, even to audiences whose exposure to on-screen violence has hardened their responses.
Julia Roberts gives a sympathetic performance as a victim of domestic abuse who is trapped in a nightmare from which there seems to be no way out and also convincingly portrays the anxieties which her character continues to experience when she starts her new life in Iowa. Patrick Bergin is believable as a violent psychopath whose need for perfection in all things has grown to an absurd proportion and in addition, Kevin Anderson is good as Ben who in complete contrast to Martin is good natured, sensitive and caring.
Haunting, chilling tale of affluent spousal abuse
roghache16 March 2006
I found this movie, if not terribly believable, very moving and emotional when I saw it some years back. Julia Roberts brings a real vulnerability to all her roles, and is perfect here as the affluent but both mentally and physically abused wife.
The sad tale revolves around an apparently perfect upper middle class couple who share a beach home...the beautiful young Laura (who has every material comfort) and her obsessive and abusive husband, Martin. Laura lives in terror of her abuser, finally seizing a chance to escape by faking her own death and and fleeing to another town, where she assumes an entirely new identity. Meanwhile, Martin becomes ballistic when he discovers that his wife is not really dead and goes after her...
I admit it, the plot is pretty far fetched, a lot of holes in the story, some events depicted not very believable. Leave your logic behind. Still, I was able to overlook all this and focus my attention on Laura's plight, hoping she could evade (or eliminate) this intellectual brute, and build a new life for herself with a new love.
The portrayal of Laura's terror is vivid as she tries to appease her obsessive husband, who becomes violent if she fails to keep the pantry shelf items in perfect alignment. The most chilling scene of all is the rape, with its accompaniment of Martin's favorite classical music, a piece which thereafter haunts his young wife. No sympathy here for the husband, whose unfolding actions simply go from unspeakable to unthinkable.
Not a particularly believable plot but engrossing, nevertheless, and a pair of vividly drawn characters who elicit strong emotions. However, the best part of this movie is definitely its message. Contrary to the typical image, spousal abuse is no respecter of social class. It would have been much more difficult for me before this film than it is now to picture an affluent, educated, sophisticated abuser.
The sad tale revolves around an apparently perfect upper middle class couple who share a beach home...the beautiful young Laura (who has every material comfort) and her obsessive and abusive husband, Martin. Laura lives in terror of her abuser, finally seizing a chance to escape by faking her own death and and fleeing to another town, where she assumes an entirely new identity. Meanwhile, Martin becomes ballistic when he discovers that his wife is not really dead and goes after her...
I admit it, the plot is pretty far fetched, a lot of holes in the story, some events depicted not very believable. Leave your logic behind. Still, I was able to overlook all this and focus my attention on Laura's plight, hoping she could evade (or eliminate) this intellectual brute, and build a new life for herself with a new love.
The portrayal of Laura's terror is vivid as she tries to appease her obsessive husband, who becomes violent if she fails to keep the pantry shelf items in perfect alignment. The most chilling scene of all is the rape, with its accompaniment of Martin's favorite classical music, a piece which thereafter haunts his young wife. No sympathy here for the husband, whose unfolding actions simply go from unspeakable to unthinkable.
Not a particularly believable plot but engrossing, nevertheless, and a pair of vividly drawn characters who elicit strong emotions. However, the best part of this movie is definitely its message. Contrary to the typical image, spousal abuse is no respecter of social class. It would have been much more difficult for me before this film than it is now to picture an affluent, educated, sophisticated abuser.
My First Julia Roberts Movie
david_barnett116 October 2004
Unlike some, I LIKE this lady and this is my favourite film of hers. After watching it for the nth time I was moved to buy the book on which it is based and this is a far more complex affair than the film, which simplifies everything and leaves out several characters altogether. I think Nancy Price did a far better job of studying an abused wife, who never really stopped loving her brute of a husband, than the makers of the film. It depicts Sara/Laura as a far more interesting character than the somewhat insipid Julia Roberts version.
If you have read the book, then some little touches in the film (i.e. - African Violets) become clearer.
If you have read the book, then some little touches in the film (i.e. - African Violets) become clearer.
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique will never sound the same again!.
hitchcockthelegend4 March 2008
Laura marries Martin Burney who appears to be the perfect man, he is handsome and successful, yet the dream of the perfect man becomes a nightmare as Martin is a control freak who abuses her both physically and mentally. Once she decides enough is enough she plots her escape by way of faking her own death by drowning, a new life beckons, but she will always be looking over her shoulder to see if Martin finds out the truth and tracks her down.
Thus the vehicle for Julia Roberts pans out as your just above average thriller. It has some decent moments that keep it from drifting into tedium, the set up perfectly portrays the double life that some people lead, on the social circuit it appears the couple are happy and at one with each other, yet behind their own walls there is violence and the crushing of the spirit. The final third of the film is also well worthy of the word thriller, for the tension is nigh on unbearable as we slowly come to the conclusion, whilst Julia Roberts as Laura does a very tidy job as this sort of modern day princess escaping the evil clutches of her keeper. Must mention the great use of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, it's eerie and impacts hard for the scenes it is used for.
Patrick Bergin plays his role well enough, it's just that his villainy is never fully realised, we see enough to know that what he does is wrong, yet it feels a bit too polished. Whilst a sequence that sees Laura dress up as a man is clearly the low point of the film, it really does stretch the viewers patience, and sadly insults their respective intelligence. It's a mixed bag that isn't quite a waste of time, it just doesn't leave you with anything other than a feeling of being semi fulfilled, shame as it could have been brilliant with a bit more bravery and brains in the script, 6/10.
Thus the vehicle for Julia Roberts pans out as your just above average thriller. It has some decent moments that keep it from drifting into tedium, the set up perfectly portrays the double life that some people lead, on the social circuit it appears the couple are happy and at one with each other, yet behind their own walls there is violence and the crushing of the spirit. The final third of the film is also well worthy of the word thriller, for the tension is nigh on unbearable as we slowly come to the conclusion, whilst Julia Roberts as Laura does a very tidy job as this sort of modern day princess escaping the evil clutches of her keeper. Must mention the great use of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, it's eerie and impacts hard for the scenes it is used for.
Patrick Bergin plays his role well enough, it's just that his villainy is never fully realised, we see enough to know that what he does is wrong, yet it feels a bit too polished. Whilst a sequence that sees Laura dress up as a man is clearly the low point of the film, it really does stretch the viewers patience, and sadly insults their respective intelligence. It's a mixed bag that isn't quite a waste of time, it just doesn't leave you with anything other than a feeling of being semi fulfilled, shame as it could have been brilliant with a bit more bravery and brains in the script, 6/10.
The OG of escape your deadly marriage films
jomayevans29 January 2023
The original escape film and still the best for me. The husband still scares me to this day and I'm 40 now. Probably what put me off men with facial hair for life lol.. julia Roberts is as beautiful ever. I miss this era end 80s early 90s where stars had there iwn smiles and lips lol. You are invested in both ptagonist and antagonist. The ocd of things was creepy. I can't belive she was only 22. Though extremely beautiful the same for margot Robbie in wolf of Wall Street id assumed her to be a gorgeous late 20s early 30s eoman not just entering 20s. I looked so childlike compared to these women at that age. Rewatching this just reminded another reason me exactly why a totally cashless society would be very dangerous for people. Made me miss the times people could easily move around town to town and start again née job clean slate.
"Sleeping with the Enemy:" Self-Defense Really Isn't Murder. (Spoilers Ahead)
CSM126-126 April 2005
Warning: Spoilers
"Self-defense isn't murder" That was the tag line of "Enough", a film that didn't know the difference between self-defense and pre-meditated murder. It would have been a better tag line for "Sleeping With the Enemy", a movie that does know the difference. Whereas Slim plotted and planned her husband's violent death, "Enemy"'s protagonist, Laura, acts in the heat of a moment and, most importantly, her actions are justified.
Laura and Martin have been married for four years, and seem perfectly happy. Unfortunately, Martin's severe Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder and self-confidence issues have put a strain on the marriage. Laura simply can not live up to the standards he needs to keep his OCD under control. If the towels aren't hung correctly on the towel bar, or if the pantry isn't organized just right, he has a fit of uncontrollable anger. When Martin's fits elevate to physical attacks against Laura, she leaves him.
Laura fakes her own death and then begins life anew in a small town with a new identity, and she has a romance with a man named Ben.
Thankfully the movie doesn't try to justify Laura's running away or her adultery, or make her seem perfect; it simply shows the choices she makes. Whether she makes the right choices is all up to your own moral radar, and I like that. If this were "Enough", the case would likely be much different. But this isn't "Enough". This is much, much better.
"Sleeping With the Enemy" is a smart film that actually let's the audience see why Laura feels she has the right to leave Martin. Mostly it has to do with her own inability to deal with Martin's mental infirmities, and that's an understandable problem. OCD can ruin lives, and it can seem overwhelming when you try to help someone who suffers from it. I'm not saying it's right to run away, but her fear is legitimately justifiable. And it's obviously her fear that causes her to overlook the possibility of getting Martin some help.
Her killing Martin is also justifiable. When he bursts into her house with a gun, that provides a reason to kill him. And, what do you know, it makes sense. Do I even have to say the E word again? We all know that movie provides no good reasons for anything that it's characters do. Even though the end of Sleeping With the Enemy is predictable, it's really the only ending the movie can logically come to by that point so I really can't complain, and I'll stay off my soapbox. Besides, I need to save it for when I review "Irreversible."
"Sleeping With the Enemy" has other merits besides the smart script. For one, the cinematography is beautiful, especially in the early scenes at Laura and Martin's beach-front home. I was left saying "Wow." Another selling point is the acting. Julia Roberts, who usually bugs me, does a fine job as Laura. She never takes it into the territory of melodrama or schlock, thankfully. Patrick Bergen, as Martin, does a good job of portraying a sufferer of OCD and, when Laura's ruse is revealed, an enraged husband. He has reason to be angry with Laura for leaving him (or so he believes thanks to his mental issues), plus he has those self-confidence issues that fuel his instability. To some he may seem over-the-top, but to me he seemed very real. Like I said, OCD wrecks those who suffer from it.
My only real problems with the movie were the silly way Martin died (Three bullets, and he's still standing? Please!) and an unnecessary dance number with Laura and Ben. Why is it that some filmmakers deem it necessary to use pointless dance routines to show that two people are in love? And what place do songs like "Runaround Sue" and "Brown-Eyed Girl" have in a movie like this? However distracting those errors may be, "Sleeping with the Enemy" is a fine movie that actually makes the effort to realistically portray real issues. And for that, I commend it.
Laura and Martin have been married for four years, and seem perfectly happy. Unfortunately, Martin's severe Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder and self-confidence issues have put a strain on the marriage. Laura simply can not live up to the standards he needs to keep his OCD under control. If the towels aren't hung correctly on the towel bar, or if the pantry isn't organized just right, he has a fit of uncontrollable anger. When Martin's fits elevate to physical attacks against Laura, she leaves him.
Laura fakes her own death and then begins life anew in a small town with a new identity, and she has a romance with a man named Ben.
Thankfully the movie doesn't try to justify Laura's running away or her adultery, or make her seem perfect; it simply shows the choices she makes. Whether she makes the right choices is all up to your own moral radar, and I like that. If this were "Enough", the case would likely be much different. But this isn't "Enough". This is much, much better.
"Sleeping With the Enemy" is a smart film that actually let's the audience see why Laura feels she has the right to leave Martin. Mostly it has to do with her own inability to deal with Martin's mental infirmities, and that's an understandable problem. OCD can ruin lives, and it can seem overwhelming when you try to help someone who suffers from it. I'm not saying it's right to run away, but her fear is legitimately justifiable. And it's obviously her fear that causes her to overlook the possibility of getting Martin some help.
Her killing Martin is also justifiable. When he bursts into her house with a gun, that provides a reason to kill him. And, what do you know, it makes sense. Do I even have to say the E word again? We all know that movie provides no good reasons for anything that it's characters do. Even though the end of Sleeping With the Enemy is predictable, it's really the only ending the movie can logically come to by that point so I really can't complain, and I'll stay off my soapbox. Besides, I need to save it for when I review "Irreversible."
"Sleeping With the Enemy" has other merits besides the smart script. For one, the cinematography is beautiful, especially in the early scenes at Laura and Martin's beach-front home. I was left saying "Wow." Another selling point is the acting. Julia Roberts, who usually bugs me, does a fine job as Laura. She never takes it into the territory of melodrama or schlock, thankfully. Patrick Bergen, as Martin, does a good job of portraying a sufferer of OCD and, when Laura's ruse is revealed, an enraged husband. He has reason to be angry with Laura for leaving him (or so he believes thanks to his mental issues), plus he has those self-confidence issues that fuel his instability. To some he may seem over-the-top, but to me he seemed very real. Like I said, OCD wrecks those who suffer from it.
My only real problems with the movie were the silly way Martin died (Three bullets, and he's still standing? Please!) and an unnecessary dance number with Laura and Ben. Why is it that some filmmakers deem it necessary to use pointless dance routines to show that two people are in love? And what place do songs like "Runaround Sue" and "Brown-Eyed Girl" have in a movie like this? However distracting those errors may be, "Sleeping with the Enemy" is a fine movie that actually makes the effort to realistically portray real issues. And for that, I commend it.
That would make you a monster.....
FlashCallahan16 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Laura and Martin have been married for four years. They seem to be the perfect, happiest and most successful couple.
The reality of their household, however, is very different. Martin is an abusive and brutally obsessed husband.
Laura is living her life in constant fear and waits for a chance to escape. She finally stages her own death, and flees to a new town and new identity.
But when Martin finds out that his wife is not dead he will stop at nothing to find and kill her.....
After the success of Pretty Woman, it was inevitable that Roberts would be huge, and the next few films she starred in would be guaranteed hits, regardless of their quality. In 1991, she starred in two dodgy movies, Dying Young, and this shlockfest.
It's the kind of film that has a woman explain a plot point over the phone to the villain, and has someone search for clues in a box labelled 'Laura's Personal Records'.
Despite the absurdity of it all though, Roberts is good, and Bergin is the funniest pantomime villain, and plays the role with the right amount of cheese.
This is the film to thank when you think of other films like, Single White Female, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, and Unlawful Entry.
Its a load of old cobblers, but its funny cobblers.
And Roberts looks like Michael J Fox when dressed as a man.
The reality of their household, however, is very different. Martin is an abusive and brutally obsessed husband.
Laura is living her life in constant fear and waits for a chance to escape. She finally stages her own death, and flees to a new town and new identity.
But when Martin finds out that his wife is not dead he will stop at nothing to find and kill her.....
After the success of Pretty Woman, it was inevitable that Roberts would be huge, and the next few films she starred in would be guaranteed hits, regardless of their quality. In 1991, she starred in two dodgy movies, Dying Young, and this shlockfest.
It's the kind of film that has a woman explain a plot point over the phone to the villain, and has someone search for clues in a box labelled 'Laura's Personal Records'.
Despite the absurdity of it all though, Roberts is good, and Bergin is the funniest pantomime villain, and plays the role with the right amount of cheese.
This is the film to thank when you think of other films like, Single White Female, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, and Unlawful Entry.
Its a load of old cobblers, but its funny cobblers.
And Roberts looks like Michael J Fox when dressed as a man.
Deleted scene?
JumeirahSun8 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I just bought the DVD of this film and was surprised to find that a graphic scene was removed from the early moments. I remember from seeing the movie in previous times (on television) that when Laura and Martin come home from the party, he begins his little "love-making" session. We see from Laura's expression that her husband is really raping her. This scene is not on my DVD; it ends right after Laura drops the bowl of strawberries. Why was the scene taken out for the DVD? Perhaps there are enough other clues to Martin's true nature but it is odd that this scene, which is one of the first to clue the audience in to the menace of the situation, is missing. The implications of Martin's favorite music and the Pavlovian horror it instills in Laura is somewhat cheapened by the deletion of the rape scene. I know that there are sometimes different edits of films when they are released on television, but I would have expected this sex scene to be taken out for TV, and not for the DVD!
A Lifetime movie from Hell...
Beast-54 January 2005
SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY resembles the kind of movie they show endlessly on the Lifetime channel. The men are either weak and ineffectual or psychotic.It was rightfully parodied by the movie FATAL INSTINCT. For the most part, the cheese factor is high, with plot devices scattered about everywhere, as well as a number of holes mentioned in other reviews. The characters act the way they do because the story requires them to do so. The scenery is wonderful, particularly at the beginning with the boats and the ocean. Patrick Bergin is great as Julia Roberts's obsessive-compulsive creep of a husband. Roberts has more chemistry with him than anyone else in the movie...
Watchable at best!
stevenverb-18 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Having seen this movie for the first time in years, I can safely say it is an easy, entertaining watch, but my praise stops there i'm afraid. The story of an abused wife who goes to extreme measures, quickly becomes as predictable as the day after Friday is Saturday. The real highlight is that it proved Julia Roberts could act and go beyond rom-com roles. However the same can't be said for Patrick Bergin and Kevin Anderson. Bergin speaks in a soft voice and bulges his eyes to make him scary, which he fails miserably at; Kevin Anderson's character is neither likable nor realistic. It is little wonder that neither of these two actors careers have progressed that much since this film. Also this film has so many unexplained and unrealistic moments that it becomes laughable by the end of the film. How after, i'm assuming at least weeks, does the YWCA decide to call Bergin and tell of Laura's life story? How did Bergin not spot the ring in the toilet before? How did Laura pay for a home for her mother without the supposed dominant husband getting wind of it? How did Laura suddenly become a brilliant swimmer? I ask this because even a reasonable good swimmer would struggle in a storm on the ocean, yet Robert's character was practically a novice, but swims to shore with ease! How come Laura's mum did not recognise Martin's voice when her daughter was with him for four years? What are the odds they never met? It is an insult to blind people as they recognise people by their voices! Why would Martin suffocate Laura's mum? What would it achieve? Wouldn't it be blatantly clear he killed her since he was the last person seen in her room? Also say Robert's character is at the most is 30, why does her mother look more as though she is pushing 80? So that would make her pushing 50 when she gave birth. How does Martin know where Laura lives before he has even started to follow her? He seems to have rearranged a lot as well in the short space of time he has in the house, would even a crazed lunatic go to such lengths? Also when he is in the house he seems to be the greatest ever player of hide and seek. Its only a small house yet he manages to stay out of sight, whilst over-running a bath, rearranging cans, straightening towels and making a hi-fi turn on by itself. The truth is if you are looking for a by the numbers movie this will suit. If you want something that makes sense don't bother with this tripe!
A classic thriller, Julia Roberts shines.
SamJamie7 May 2020
Sleeping with the Enemy is a 1991 American romantic psychological thriller film directed by Joseph Ruben and starring Julia Roberts, Patrick Bergin and Kevin Anderson. The film is based on Nancy Price's novel of the same name of 1987. Roberts plays a woman who escapes from her abusive husband, from Cape Cod to Cedar Falls, Iowa, where she captures the attention of a kindly college drama teacher.
Industry standard thriller only raised by Roberts' presence
Mr_PCM28 July 2008
One of many standard thrillers that were scattered through the late 80s and early 90s, many of which would star Julia Roberts, and which showed her to be more than just the pretty romantic lead. Here she plays a much stronger character, a woman fleeing her abusive husband to start a new life, strong, independent but still skittish, worried that she might be found.
A tale of beautiful but terrified housewife Laura(Roberts) who resorts to desperate lengths to escape the constant fear of her violent and controlling husband martin (Patrick Bergin) in which she lives faking her own death to be able to begin a new life far away. However, finding little peace she is still haunted by her previous life, a life which inevitably catches up with her when her husband discovers she is still alive and attempts to track her down.
Roberts can do the strong independent woman role in her sleep and make it appear effortless - a fact proved later with her Oscar win for Erin Brockovich - and in Sleeping with the Enemy she shows the early talent which would eventually lead her to that Oscar win. Meanwhile Bergin is suitably menacing in a rent-a-villain kind of way, all grimacing and intense staring. He does however have a rather interesting tic a form of OCD- towels all neatly lined up and so on which could have served as a rather effective tension builder had it been given further development.
However the film itself, while entertaining and diverting enough in its' own right, there is still something very standard and formulaic about the plot. For far too much of the film's (admittedly short) 94-minute runtime we seem to be waiting for the film to get going, and the climax arrives far too late and is too short, wasting the tension which has been built up. In addition, Kevin Anderson as Ben, the white knight who should rescue Laura from her fear, just does not seem to gel with the part coming off as slightly creepy himself rather than a hero, particularly in the early half of the film.
Overall Sleeping With The Enemy remains a standard typical early 90s thriller of which there were so many, no better or worse than any of the others. A curio for fans of Julia Roberts wishing to see her earlier career development in an effective performance, but the average plot makes the film a throwaway thriller which could serve for a Saturday evening's entertainment with a bottle of wine, but little more. Reasonable, serviceable but forgettable.
A tale of beautiful but terrified housewife Laura(Roberts) who resorts to desperate lengths to escape the constant fear of her violent and controlling husband martin (Patrick Bergin) in which she lives faking her own death to be able to begin a new life far away. However, finding little peace she is still haunted by her previous life, a life which inevitably catches up with her when her husband discovers she is still alive and attempts to track her down.
Roberts can do the strong independent woman role in her sleep and make it appear effortless - a fact proved later with her Oscar win for Erin Brockovich - and in Sleeping with the Enemy she shows the early talent which would eventually lead her to that Oscar win. Meanwhile Bergin is suitably menacing in a rent-a-villain kind of way, all grimacing and intense staring. He does however have a rather interesting tic a form of OCD- towels all neatly lined up and so on which could have served as a rather effective tension builder had it been given further development.
However the film itself, while entertaining and diverting enough in its' own right, there is still something very standard and formulaic about the plot. For far too much of the film's (admittedly short) 94-minute runtime we seem to be waiting for the film to get going, and the climax arrives far too late and is too short, wasting the tension which has been built up. In addition, Kevin Anderson as Ben, the white knight who should rescue Laura from her fear, just does not seem to gel with the part coming off as slightly creepy himself rather than a hero, particularly in the early half of the film.
Overall Sleeping With The Enemy remains a standard typical early 90s thriller of which there were so many, no better or worse than any of the others. A curio for fans of Julia Roberts wishing to see her earlier career development in an effective performance, but the average plot makes the film a throwaway thriller which could serve for a Saturday evening's entertainment with a bottle of wine, but little more. Reasonable, serviceable but forgettable.
Why is the mother so old?
lu-505278 October 2021
Not going to comment much on the plot. Other people have summed it up.
Some of my random thoughts on this film:
Why is the mother so old? When i watched this as a teen, there was always something fishy i could not put my finger on - it didn't sit right. Well, now i know Julia Roberts was cast at 22 years old and her 'mother' in the movie was a 69 year old actress who looked more like a great-grandmother. It was so weird, and still is. I don't think anybody else has commented on this. This is not a criticism of the acting ability - i was just too conflicted to take the mother/daughter scenario seriously - and it was intricate to the plot! A woman of 40-ish could still have been afflicted with blindness or stroke or any number of ailments that required clinical care, so i was baffled by the granny.
The love interest guy wore brown contact lens, when he has natural blue eyes. This made his eyes have no flecks of color, or resemblance to real eyes in human form - i always thought that was a strange thing.
Also, when he first approached her at night - in the garden picking apples - and creeped up on her stating they could arrive at an "arrangement" she should have whopped him in the head! That come-on lacked finesse, to say the least!
And our savvy heroine flushes her wedding ring down the toilet (presumably because she wants no reminders) and looks away without checking to see if it has actually been flushed away! But what? Why? There is a whole OCEAN next door where it could disappear, poetically, into oblivion. But, nah, yeah, the TOILET in their house is good too!
And lastly, when he takes her to school to play dress-up in drama class wardrobe pieces, just so he can get pervy and watch Julia's character undress, and he dances with her... Notice how he literally jolts her arms/body with every move he makes. He is trying to rip off her limbs and cause spiritual pain. The actor literally cannot dance to save a life, and she would have been sore and in pain after a twirl on the dancefloor with that oaf.
As for the husband, his character is sufficiently crazed and commandeering, however the relationship displayed no truth. What was the connection between the husband and wife? Their interactions were contrived. I was not riveted - it left me cold.
Some of my random thoughts on this film:
Why is the mother so old? When i watched this as a teen, there was always something fishy i could not put my finger on - it didn't sit right. Well, now i know Julia Roberts was cast at 22 years old and her 'mother' in the movie was a 69 year old actress who looked more like a great-grandmother. It was so weird, and still is. I don't think anybody else has commented on this. This is not a criticism of the acting ability - i was just too conflicted to take the mother/daughter scenario seriously - and it was intricate to the plot! A woman of 40-ish could still have been afflicted with blindness or stroke or any number of ailments that required clinical care, so i was baffled by the granny.
The love interest guy wore brown contact lens, when he has natural blue eyes. This made his eyes have no flecks of color, or resemblance to real eyes in human form - i always thought that was a strange thing.
Also, when he first approached her at night - in the garden picking apples - and creeped up on her stating they could arrive at an "arrangement" she should have whopped him in the head! That come-on lacked finesse, to say the least!
And our savvy heroine flushes her wedding ring down the toilet (presumably because she wants no reminders) and looks away without checking to see if it has actually been flushed away! But what? Why? There is a whole OCEAN next door where it could disappear, poetically, into oblivion. But, nah, yeah, the TOILET in their house is good too!
And lastly, when he takes her to school to play dress-up in drama class wardrobe pieces, just so he can get pervy and watch Julia's character undress, and he dances with her... Notice how he literally jolts her arms/body with every move he makes. He is trying to rip off her limbs and cause spiritual pain. The actor literally cannot dance to save a life, and she would have been sore and in pain after a twirl on the dancefloor with that oaf.
As for the husband, his character is sufficiently crazed and commandeering, however the relationship displayed no truth. What was the connection between the husband and wife? Their interactions were contrived. I was not riveted - it left me cold.
That was the day I died and someone else was saved
kirsty_uk8 February 2001
What a great movie. One of Julia Robert's best performances.
The start of the movie seems fine Laura and Martin seem like a happily married couple, then you see a scene where Martin berates her about hanging the bathroom towels out of order and then, Laura desperately tries to arrange the tins in the cupboard exactly right. Everything is definitely not alright when you see Martin punch Laura in the head.
This is the story of how Laura fakes her own death and tries to make a new life for herself.
You really feel for Laura and Martin is a really evil guy, who is portrayed very scarily.
The music is beautiful and sad, one of the loveliest soundtracks I have ever heard.
I really recommend this film to other women, although it is not aimed entirely at the female audience, I feel we get more out of it
The start of the movie seems fine Laura and Martin seem like a happily married couple, then you see a scene where Martin berates her about hanging the bathroom towels out of order and then, Laura desperately tries to arrange the tins in the cupboard exactly right. Everything is definitely not alright when you see Martin punch Laura in the head.
This is the story of how Laura fakes her own death and tries to make a new life for herself.
You really feel for Laura and Martin is a really evil guy, who is portrayed very scarily.
The music is beautiful and sad, one of the loveliest soundtracks I have ever heard.
I really recommend this film to other women, although it is not aimed entirely at the female audience, I feel we get more out of it
Ridiculous Yet Fun
cassiewright-8952018 September 2021
Julia Roberts plays a battered wife who fakes her death in order to escape from her abusive husband and runs away to small town where she tries to make a new life for herself until her husband catches on and comes after her.
If you think too hard about the plot, it all falls apart, but director Joseph Rubin keeps things moving so quickly that you don't really think about it much as you're watching it and it ends up being a good time.
If you think too hard about the plot, it all falls apart, but director Joseph Rubin keeps things moving so quickly that you don't really think about it much as you're watching it and it ends up being a good time.
Interesting plot line, but some things unbelievable
WackyKacky25 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I enjoyed this movie on a few levels, and there where things that I found totally unbelievable. The story line is basic: an abused woman who flees from her abuser, the enemy, who happens to be her husband. I picked up something watching a second time. It was when the abused woman (Julia Roberts) calls her mother who was blind and in a care facility. The main character said she had a job and was making her own money. It made me think that possibly the reason she may have remained in the abusive relationship was because she didn't know if she could make it on her own (support herself) without him. She was young and beautiful, but basically uneducated. She is wined and dined by a rich, handsome, powerful man (a policeman) that she marries, thinking he was her prince charming and she his princess. His OCD and lack of ability to view her as a human but only as a possession means a horrible existence for her, filled with fear, as he beats her and completely controls every aspect of her life. She plans her escape and waits for the opportunity, and then it presents itself. Here is where the plot begins to become unbelievable to me. When the impromptu opportunity arises, and time is of her essence for her to make her escape, she takes the time to cut her hair, change her clothes, throw her wedding ring in the toilet, and basically leave a ton of clues that she didn't perish the way he was going to think she perished.
This is possibly her once in a lifetime opportunity to get away from this monster and she risks it by taking time at their home doing things that could easily have waited.
Of course, she finds a love interest in a town far away. But I think the movie failed to really show the fall-back of women who have been abused for years. I think it would have been much harder that they portrayed it and I think she would have looked over her shoulder for years, possibly always. Forget about sitting on the front porch so soon after she escaped.
I also didn't believe the mother daughter relationship. Maybe it was her grandmother and I missed it? Anyway, it lacked believability. And even though the mother didn't know the husband, she did know her daughter had to show up in male disguise to see her and had flown for her life and still harboring fear of being recognized and it getting back to him somehow. As a mother, I would have been way too hesitant to talk to someone who just showed up in my room asking questions about my kid without knowing exactly who I was speaking with. This mother just handed up the info and every detail to the psycho husband. Yes, I know she couldn't see him, but she knew enough about the situation to have been on guard.
Lastly, in the final scene when she calls the police to report she had just shot an intruder, why not simply say the truth. She had just shot her husband? Ben was there to back things up (albeit he had been knocked out by the husband). Was this abused woman ever going to get her real identity back now?
I thought this could have been much better by being more realistic.
This is possibly her once in a lifetime opportunity to get away from this monster and she risks it by taking time at their home doing things that could easily have waited.
Of course, she finds a love interest in a town far away. But I think the movie failed to really show the fall-back of women who have been abused for years. I think it would have been much harder that they portrayed it and I think she would have looked over her shoulder for years, possibly always. Forget about sitting on the front porch so soon after she escaped.
I also didn't believe the mother daughter relationship. Maybe it was her grandmother and I missed it? Anyway, it lacked believability. And even though the mother didn't know the husband, she did know her daughter had to show up in male disguise to see her and had flown for her life and still harboring fear of being recognized and it getting back to him somehow. As a mother, I would have been way too hesitant to talk to someone who just showed up in my room asking questions about my kid without knowing exactly who I was speaking with. This mother just handed up the info and every detail to the psycho husband. Yes, I know she couldn't see him, but she knew enough about the situation to have been on guard.
Lastly, in the final scene when she calls the police to report she had just shot an intruder, why not simply say the truth. She had just shot her husband? Ben was there to back things up (albeit he had been knocked out by the husband). Was this abused woman ever going to get her real identity back now?
I thought this could have been much better by being more realistic.
The Enemy that Never Sleeps
view_and_review24 March 2020
I went from "Not Without My Daughter" to "Sleeping with the Enemy," that's enough spousal abuse to last me a lifetime.
Laura Burney (Julia Roberts) was trapped in a very abusive relationship. Imagine being married to a person with an OCD about tidiness and he's violent about it---you'd be constantly getting beat. Well, that was Martin (Patrick Bergin). He was this creepy, monotoned, lunatic that demanded perfect obedience and perfect attendance from his wife. She had long had enough, but she had no means of escaping and assuring that she'd be safe.
Finally, she devised a plan to fake her own death which allowed her to escape. It was an excellent plan if her husband was just a normal abusive husband, even with some of her small mistakes. Those small mistakes were pretty much beacons for a overly possessive maniac. No way was he going to let her get away.
"Sleeping with the Enemy" was intense and suspenseful anytime Martin was on the screen. Everything he did, even he smallest of things, was as menacing as a terror plot. You couldn't help but hold your breath and gnash your teeth at the sight of him.
Julia Roberts, for her part, was as professional as always. She dominated the early 90's and this movie was no exception. This may have been an extreme example of spousal abuse, yet how many women never get the chance to escape.
Laura Burney (Julia Roberts) was trapped in a very abusive relationship. Imagine being married to a person with an OCD about tidiness and he's violent about it---you'd be constantly getting beat. Well, that was Martin (Patrick Bergin). He was this creepy, monotoned, lunatic that demanded perfect obedience and perfect attendance from his wife. She had long had enough, but she had no means of escaping and assuring that she'd be safe.
Finally, she devised a plan to fake her own death which allowed her to escape. It was an excellent plan if her husband was just a normal abusive husband, even with some of her small mistakes. Those small mistakes were pretty much beacons for a overly possessive maniac. No way was he going to let her get away.
"Sleeping with the Enemy" was intense and suspenseful anytime Martin was on the screen. Everything he did, even he smallest of things, was as menacing as a terror plot. You couldn't help but hold your breath and gnash your teeth at the sight of him.
Julia Roberts, for her part, was as professional as always. She dominated the early 90's and this movie was no exception. This may have been an extreme example of spousal abuse, yet how many women never get the chance to escape.
WHAT A STUUUUUUPID MOVIE!
Eyeswander-24 November 1999
Warning: Spoilers
This movie was probably about as silly as The Naked Gun (which was supposed to be). Case in point:
1. In order to fake her drowning Roberts is secretly taking swimming lessons at the YWCA. After her "death" the YWCA calls her husband at work to give their condolences. HELLO how did they get his work number?
2. Before she leaves town she drops her wedding ring in the toilet. Days or even weeks later her hubby finds it in the John. Does this mean the toilet was never flushed?
3. No explanation is given on how she is paying for her mothers care in the retirement home (since she did it behind her RICH husbands back).
4. Towards the end of this tiresome film Roberts suspects her husband is in the house. Instead of running for her life she runs to the kitchen instead to see if the cans are stacked neatly.
1. In order to fake her drowning Roberts is secretly taking swimming lessons at the YWCA. After her "death" the YWCA calls her husband at work to give their condolences. HELLO how did they get his work number?
2. Before she leaves town she drops her wedding ring in the toilet. Days or even weeks later her hubby finds it in the John. Does this mean the toilet was never flushed?
3. No explanation is given on how she is paying for her mothers care in the retirement home (since she did it behind her RICH husbands back).
4. Towards the end of this tiresome film Roberts suspects her husband is in the house. Instead of running for her life she runs to the kitchen instead to see if the cans are stacked neatly.
Julia Goes Thriller
staciewilliams-8951511 July 2019
Right off of the runaway success of Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts starred in Sleeping With the Enemy as a battered housewife who fakes her death to escape from her psychotic husband. She changes her name and starts a new life in a small town where everything seems to be better for her...until her husband discovers she's still alive.
Sleeping With the Enemy is fairly by the numbers as thrillers go. It's inoffensive and fairly predictable, but Roberts is incredibly likable in the leading role and director Joseph Rubin knows how to craft suspense which goes a long way in making the film work. Jerry Goldsmith's music score is lush and hauntingly beautiful.
Sleeping With the Enemy is the kind of movie you can relax on the couch with on a Saturday afternoon and it has a great rewatchable quality.
Sleeping With the Enemy is fairly by the numbers as thrillers go. It's inoffensive and fairly predictable, but Roberts is incredibly likable in the leading role and director Joseph Rubin knows how to craft suspense which goes a long way in making the film work. Jerry Goldsmith's music score is lush and hauntingly beautiful.
Sleeping With the Enemy is the kind of movie you can relax on the couch with on a Saturday afternoon and it has a great rewatchable quality.
Bad script sinks a good idea
highwaytourist17 August 2008
There are a number of good points about this movie- the premise is exciting, Julia Roberts gives a convincing performance as the battered, traumatized heroine, and the film is well-made, with attractive photography and a nice musical score. One thing that makes the story compelling is that it's something that happens in real life, tragically. And Patrick Bergin has some good scenes in a two-dimensional role, portraying the abusive husband as an obsessive-compulsive who is superficially charming. But the truly bad writing keeps it from achieving much. The story becomes both predictable and unbelievable. How was Laura so surprised at her husband's cruelty before marrying him? It's not like she was a mail-order bride. It's never explained how Roberts character was able to hoard that much money before escaping. Shortly after she escapes, she takes the time to cut her hair. Couldn't she have done that later? She goes to great trouble to cover her tracks, up to a point, than throws her wedding ring in the toilet and doesn't bother to check if it gets flushed. It's never explained how she was able to get false identification even though her husband watches her constantly. How on earth was she able to find a place to live so quickly? Most women in her situation live in shelters and low-end boarding houses. Even more amazing, when Bergin visits his wife's legally blind mother, the woman doesn't recognize her son-in-law's voice but recognizes hers instantly. Also, why do she and the nice-guy neighbor fall for each other so quickly? How could such foolish twists have gotten into the story? Because without them, the story wouldn't be able to reach its obvious conclusion. Also, parts are just plain silly. The scene where Roberts tries on a bunch of hats to the tune "Brown Eyed Girl" is obviously filler material. And you'll spot the ending at least 30 minutes before it ends. What a waste of a good idea. It says much for the source material and Julia Roberts that the film works to the degree that it does.
Not bad not good
mamet-9471318 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
First thing first: did the husband not use the bathroom after his wife's death??
As 90s thrillers go this is not awful but the pacing is a bit slow. Also her neighbor Ben is way too insistent bordering on creepy and the two matching so quickly doesn't ring true at all and feels more like a plot vehicle than actual romance. I didn't see what these two characters had in common or what they saw in each other.
Julia is pretty good in her role but Patrick Bergin is a little wooden and one note.
The film did ruin the song Brown-eyed Girl with that MTV-like montage that was used so much in films from the 90s and early 00s.
As 90s thrillers go this is not awful but the pacing is a bit slow. Also her neighbor Ben is way too insistent bordering on creepy and the two matching so quickly doesn't ring true at all and feels more like a plot vehicle than actual romance. I didn't see what these two characters had in common or what they saw in each other.
Julia is pretty good in her role but Patrick Bergin is a little wooden and one note.
The film did ruin the song Brown-eyed Girl with that MTV-like montage that was used so much in films from the 90s and early 00s.
A Forgotten Classic
burbank90441601022 January 2000
Why did everyone hate this film? It seems that the press love to hate any Julia Roberts film as quick as possible. I have to admit that I find Julia Roberts a fine actress and Sleeping With The Enemy is a fine example of this. She shines in a compelling and powerful thriller, that despite relying on overused shock tactics, builds up an incredible sense of excitement towards the overwrought finale. The opening scenes are shocking and the escape of the abused wife and the discovery of her husband's reappearance are undeniably moving. A forgotten classic
What's NPD?
slmn-114-2513658 December 2020
After almost 50 years, another movie based on this serious mental illness (that is Narcissistic Personality Disorder).
Gaslight (1944) it's for sure, famously recognized as the "portrait" of this illness, nonetheless, I suggest to watch this movie to have an idea of the (pandemic) disorder, of our times.
Social networks, accomplices.
Almost forgotten, but essential in Julia Roberts's career.
filipemanuelneto14 December 2019
This movie is all about a case of domestic, physical and psychological violence, where the wife of a controlling and violent husband decides to fake his own death in order to escape and start living again. Of course, things get complicated later, when the husband discovers that he was deceived and starts looking for the runaway wife. A classic thriller where she can run but can't hide, which marked (along with "Pretty Woman") Julia Roberts' rise as an actress.
This is, to a large extent, a movie that has aged quite badly, I think. Looking at him today, it is hard not to see him as a rather weak movie, where only the quality of the actress who gives life to the main character stands out. Continuously betting on the emotional response of the audience, the script is tiring and the story told has a series of problems of logic and likelihood. For starters, why did you prefer the character to fake her own death rather than go to the police, tell everything, risk it, and file for divorce? It was, to a large extent, the first thing to do. And that trick with the broken street lamp? If there wasn't such bad weather on this boat trip, how was she going to pretend she drowned convincingly? There's a lot of luck on her escape. And there's a lack of tension and suspense throughout most of the movie, except for the hospital scene, where things get really hot and we're glued to the screen. Even the ending of the movie was too warm and that was disappointing.
Nonetheless, the story is solid enough to withstand the movie and get us to see it all the way through. The construction of the two central characters, played by Julia Roberts (in a performance that showed that she was a safe bet for the industry and a promise of talent), and Patrick Bergin, who can turn his character into something worthy of the game. our hatred, although sometimes quite cartoonish. The worst was really Kevin Anderson, in such a nice stupid character.
In short, this is a highly dated movie that has aged very badly, almost falling into oblivion. The one thing that made this movie not completely forgotten was Roberts' performance, which manages to show a promise of talent and make the movie worthwhile in the least.
This is, to a large extent, a movie that has aged quite badly, I think. Looking at him today, it is hard not to see him as a rather weak movie, where only the quality of the actress who gives life to the main character stands out. Continuously betting on the emotional response of the audience, the script is tiring and the story told has a series of problems of logic and likelihood. For starters, why did you prefer the character to fake her own death rather than go to the police, tell everything, risk it, and file for divorce? It was, to a large extent, the first thing to do. And that trick with the broken street lamp? If there wasn't such bad weather on this boat trip, how was she going to pretend she drowned convincingly? There's a lot of luck on her escape. And there's a lack of tension and suspense throughout most of the movie, except for the hospital scene, where things get really hot and we're glued to the screen. Even the ending of the movie was too warm and that was disappointing.
Nonetheless, the story is solid enough to withstand the movie and get us to see it all the way through. The construction of the two central characters, played by Julia Roberts (in a performance that showed that she was a safe bet for the industry and a promise of talent), and Patrick Bergin, who can turn his character into something worthy of the game. our hatred, although sometimes quite cartoonish. The worst was really Kevin Anderson, in such a nice stupid character.
In short, this is a highly dated movie that has aged very badly, almost falling into oblivion. The one thing that made this movie not completely forgotten was Roberts' performance, which manages to show a promise of talent and make the movie worthwhile in the least.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
