10 Confusing Movie Questions We Still Don't Understand

Loosely based on Jose Saramago's The Double, Denis Villeneuve's Enemy follows a man called Adam Bell (Jake Gyllenhaal) whose life turns upside-down after discovering he has a doppelgänger called Anthony Claire (also Gyllenhaal).

Although there's no obvious explanation why Adam and Anthony are identical, that's not the film's biggest mystery. When the credits roll, the major question on everybody's mind is, "What's with the spiders?" 

The eight-legged critters appear throughout, often in a surreal and kaleidoscopic manner. In the opening, Adam watches a naked entertainer crush a tarantula during an erotic show. When Adam and Anthony sleep, they dream of spider-headed women and skyscraper-sized arachnids.

Then there's the ending. While Adam passes himself off as his physical twin, he tells Anthony's wife he's going out as she walks into the bedroom. When she doesn't answer, Adam heads into the room, only to find a colossal tarantula cowering in terror.

Although viewers can draw their own conclusion and theories, it's difficult to be certain about anything, since spiders symbolise many things, including fear, danger, deceit, and disgust.

Though Villeneuve has confirmed the spiders symbolise femininity, that doesn't explain much, especially when it comes to the climax. Is the final scene a dream? Has Anthony's wife transformed into a tarantula or does Adam see her as one? Why is she terrified of him? How come Adam isn't bothered there's a ten-foot-wide monster in the bedroom?

Due to this recurring motif, it's fitting how Enemy has created a literal web of confusion that's left many scratching their head.