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Enemy Mine

Enemy Mine

Enemies because they were taught to be. Allies because they had to be. Brothers because they dared to be.

1985108 minPG-13Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Director
Wolfgang Petersen
Starring
Dennis Quaid, Louis Gossett Jr., Brion James, Richard Marcus

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.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Enemy Mine?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Enemy Mine streaming on Disney+ and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Enemy Mine?

Enemy Mine earns 6 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Box Office Flop.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Enemy Mine worth watching?

Enemy Mine's Midcredits score is the 77th percentile of all films, from 82K ratings across 6 sources. 68% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

77th percentile

Better received than 77% of films

88th percentile among Action79th percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)76th
Approval (how many liked it)76th

69 /100

76th percentile of all films

88th percentile among Action79th percentile among 1980s

Critics 59 · Audience 69

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.0 — solid but not unanimous.

68% liked it

76th percentile of all films

85th percentile among Action77th percentile among 1980s
68% rated it 7–1032% rated it 1–6

Critics 61% · Audience 68%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 7 noms overall

93rd percentile

82K ratings across platforms

87th percentile among Action93rd percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 37% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$40M
Opening weekend$1.6M
Domestic gross$12M
Worldwide gross$12M

Returned 0.3× its budget — 61st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A human and an alien, sworn enemies, crash-land on a hostile planet and must learn to cooperate to survive, prioritizing character-driven drama over spectacle.

Fans praised

  • Strong central performances, especially Gossett Jr. emoting through heavy prosthetics
  • Thematic depth: anti-war, anti-racism message handled with sincerity
  • Practical effects, matte paintings, and production design create a convincing alien world

Detractors panned

  • Derivative premise, heavily borrowing from Hell in the Pacific and The Defiant Ones
  • Schmaltzy, sentimental tone undermines the serious themes
  • Uneven pacing with jarring tonal shifts from drama to action

What stands out

ActingDivisive75

Gossett Jr. praised for emoting through makeup; Quaid called serviceable or hammy by detractors

CharactersDivisive70

Warm, earned friendship arc; detractors find characters shallow and stereotyped

Emotional impactDivisive65

Death scene and friendship genuinely moving to fans; detractors find it manipulative

CinematographyDivisive65

Striking matte paintings and desert locations; some call sets studio-bound

Effects and spectacleDivisive55

Dated but charming practical effects; space battles widely panned

Plot and storyDivisive45

Derivative survival story; contrived third-act action and rushed resolution

PacingDivisive40

Slow middle section; jarring shift to action in final act

OriginalityDivisive30

Widely seen as a sci-fi retread of earlier war-camp movies

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 13 points higher than under-30s.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is Enemy Mine like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, has a few laughs and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseHopefulMelancholic
Heaviest: middle
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
WarmAdventurous · 11% of filmsSentimental · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its story of cross-species friendship straight, with sincerity and warmth, despite some humour.
The rideThe middle section carries the emotional weight of Jerry's pregnancy and death; the mood alternates between survival tension, growing warmth, and grief.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from the dogfight and crash through survival, friendship, and eventual rescue.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

HopefulBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with hope for cross-species understanding and the warmth of an unlikely friendship, tempered by the loss of that friend.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Voyage
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4% (this title): Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% (this title) · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Voyage and return: Into a strange world and back again, changed. · Survival ordeal: Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).

4% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

Why this archetypeThe film follows two enemy pilots stranded together on a hostile world, forced to cooperate to survive and eventually form a deep bond. The journey back to civilization and the protagonist's transformation from hatred to friendship drive the story.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Friendship · 9% of filmsFamily bondsSacrifice · 4% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film is about an unlikely friendship forged by necessity that deepens into chosen family, culminating in a sacred promise and self-sacrifice.
StanceThe film celebrates the friendship and found family that grows across species lines, framing it as redemptive and morally superior to the war that preceded it.

The world

Near futureWildernessInstitutionalScience fiction
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Maurice Jarre
Settingthe hostile planet Fyrine IV, a space station, and a scavenger mining camp
MusicJarre's score underscores the alien landscapes and the emotional beats of the growing bond.

Content guide

Is Enemy Mine okay for kids?

PG-13

Enemy Mine is rated PG-13. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (54/100), sexual content at minimal (7/100), language at mild (32/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (2/100) and frightening material at moderate (40/100). Overall it is heavier than 28% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 10 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany16
  • FranceU
  • Brazil12
  • Denmark15
  • Greece13
  • Hungary12
  • Netherlands12
  • Sweden15
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 21% of all filmsHeavier than 28% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 59%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 6%
Profanity
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 23%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 1%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 42%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 59% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Enemy Mine have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Enemy Mine?

Cast

4 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Dennis Quaid
as Davidge
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Louis Gossett Jr.
as Drac
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Brion James
as Stubbs
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Richard Marcus
as Arnold
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Carolyn McCormick
as Morse
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Lance Kerwin
as Wooster
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Bumper Robinson
as Zammis
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Jim Mapp
as Old Drac
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Scott Kraft
as Jonathan
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Lou Michaels
as Wilson
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Enemy Mine?

Movies like Enemy Mine include Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), The Osiris Child (2016) and The Last Starfighter (1984). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films set in a fictional world, and several are stories about aliens.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

9 of these 12 share its world: space opera. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Enemy Mine?

263 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: space opera. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.