---
title: "Sleeping with the Enemy"
year: 1991
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/sleeping-with-the-enemy"
fi1m_id: "sleeping-with-the-enemy"
imdb_id: "tt0102945"
tmdb_id: 7442
wikidata_id: "Q1193347"
fi1m_score: 54
critics_score: 42
critics_reviews: 6
published: "2026-10-04T21:40:50.585884+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-04T21:40:59.341857+00:00"
region: "SI"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)

Directed by Joseph Ruben · 1h 39m · Drama, Thriller

## Identity

Sleeping with the Enemy

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/sleeping-with-the-enemy
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** sleeping-with-the-enemy
- **IMDb ID:** tt0102945
- **TMDB ID:** 7442
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1193347
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102945/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/7442, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1193347

**Fi1m score: 54** · Critics 42 from 6 reviews

*In a sentence:* Laura needs a better husband; Julia Roberts could use a better script

> Julia Roberts gives this brisk thriller a reason to care, but Joseph Ruben settles for contrivance too readily. The suspense works often enough; the thin treatment of domestic abuse is harder to accept.

## Synopsis

Laura Burney (Julia Roberts) changes her name and appearance to escape her husband, Martin Burney (Patrick Bergin). As Sara Walters, she becomes a stranger in a small town, trying to put the marriage behind her. She wants a life in which Martin cannot reach her, but leaving does not remove her fear of him. The story follows Laura, Martin and Ben Woodward (Kevin Anderson) as Laura tries to keep her old life separate from the new one. Her changed identity offers a way to begin again, provided she can remain a stranger to the man she has left.

## Review

*Sleeping with the Enemy* is a watchable thriller with a persuasive lead and a disappointingly shallow treatment of the danger she faces. Joseph Ruben takes a frighteningly simple wish seriously enough to get us interested: Laura Burney wants to get away from her husband. Changing her name and appearance ought to offer plenty to explore about fear and survival. The film soon becomes preoccupied with keeping her in danger, leaving little time to consider what starting again might cost her.

Julia Roberts gives Laura enough vulnerability to make that shortcoming matter. We felt anxious for Laura as she changed her name and appearance simply to escape her husband. Having to abandon so much of herself makes her situation frightening before the thriller has much work to do. The performance sustains our concern even when the plot begins asking us to accept too much for the sake of another threat.

Patrick Bergin makes Martin Burney unpleasant enough to justify Laura’s fear, and there is some pleasure in an actor committing this fully to a villain. But the performance also exposes how little the film wants to understand about him beyond his capacity to frighten. Ronald Bass’s screenplay gives us a husband to dread without much psychological detail. That serves the immediate suspense, though it makes the treatment of abuse feel thin.

John Lindley’s cinematography gives the film a sleek finish that can make its subject oddly comfortable to watch. Doug Kraner’s production design contributes to that polished appearance, and the surroundings sometimes seem more carefully considered than the people occupying them. The visual control is assured, though the tidiness becomes a problem when the story asks us to consider Laura’s distress. Her changed identity and small-town life ought to feel uncertain; the polish makes the whole business seem rather too manageable.

George Bowers keeps the 99-minute film moving, which helps when the premise starts asking for more indulgence than it has earned. The cutting gives us little time to dwell on the contrivances, but they remain apparent. Jerry Goldsmith’s music supplies a useful measure of unease, although it sometimes seems to be doing emotional work the writing has neglected. There is enough forward movement to keep us watching, even when the characters need more attention.

As a domestic thriller, the film has a strong reason to frighten us before it has done much at all. A woman trying to escape her husband needs no elaborate explanation, and a new name cannot by itself make her safe. Ruben relies heavily on that initial concern, then accepts plot turns that make the threat feel arranged for our entertainment. The difficulty is not that the film wants to provide suspense, but that it becomes so incurious about the woman supplying it.

Those coming for a brisk thriller may find the performances sufficient reason to stay. There is enough conviction in the acting to make the weaknesses frustrating rather than merely forgettable. Anyone looking for a convincing account of a survivor beginning again should be cautious: the film has considerably more patience for putting her in danger.

*Fi1m score 54, published 4 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean negative on Sleeping with the Enemy, though its ability to generate suspense earns some credit across the divide. Praise centres on the performances in the more favourable accounts: Julia Roberts gives the heroine emotional depth, while Patrick Bergin makes a threatening villain. Variety is the strongest supporter, finding a streamlined, effective thriller that builds sympathy for its endangered heroine. Even some detractors acknowledge watchability and moments of tension.

The spread is wide, with disagreement extending beyond the thriller mechanics to the handling of abuse. Reservations cluster around contrivance, lightweight suspense and a lack of psychological depth. The Los Angeles Times offers the sharpest dissent, finding that the sleek melodrama sacrifices realism and judging Roberts’s portrayal of a damaged survivor bland. The central split is over whether the suspense and performances compensate for the thin treatment of the subject.

## Straight answers

**Is Sleeping with the Enemy worth watching?**

*Sleeping with the Enemy* is watchable for Julia Roberts and its brisk suspense, but we find it too contrived to recommend without reservations; we score it 54 out of 100. It suits viewers after a straightforward thriller better than those seeking a convincing account of a woman escaping domestic abuse.

**How long is Sleeping with the Enemy, and what is it rated?**

*Sleeping with the Enemy* runs 1h 39m. It is a drama and thriller film.

**Where can I watch Sleeping with the Enemy in Slovenia?**

*Sleeping with the Enemy* is streaming on Disney+ in Slovenia. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Sleeping with the Enemy, and is it suitable for children?**

*Sleeping with the Enemy* has a UK 15 certificate and is unsuitable for children, with its domestic-abuse premise making it potentially distressing for viewers sensitive to the subject. We find Laura’s fear of her husband unsettling, though the suspense is more persuasive than the film’s treatment of her experience.

**How does Sleeping with the Enemy compare to Gaslight?**

*Sleeping with the Enemy* offers brisker, more contrived suspense than [*Gaslight*](https://film.one/film/gaslight), which we recommend for its sharper attention to psychological control within a marriage. Julia Roberts gives the later film a persuasive centre, but *Gaslight* makes more disturbing use of its domestic setting, provided we can forgive its slower stretches.

**Is Sleeping with the Enemy based on a true story or a book?**

*Sleeping with the Enemy* is adapted from a novel by Nancy Price, rather than presented as a true story. No familiarity with the book is needed to follow Laura’s attempt to escape her husband, though we find the film more interested in sustaining danger than exploring her experience of starting again.

**What should I watch after Sleeping with the Enemy?**

After *Sleeping with the Enemy*, try [*Gaslight*](https://film.one/film/gaslight) (1944, Fi1m 81): Another marriage built on fear, with sharper attention to psychological control. Then [*The Invisible Man*](https://film.one/film/the-invisible-man) (2020, Fi1m 76): A woman’s fear of her partner becomes sustained, carefully organised suspense; and [*The Night of the Hunter*](https://film.one/film/the-night-of-the-hunter) (1955, Fi1m 91): Domestic menace made frightening through space, shadow and an unnervingly persuasive villain.

### Reviews we read (6)

- **Variety**, Variety Staff (70/100, inferred): The review finds the film an effective, streamlined thriller that generates strong sympathy for its imperiled heroine. It particularly praises Julia Roberts’ layered performance and describes Patrick Bergin as chillingly twisted. [Read](https://variety.com/1990/film/reviews/sleeping-with-the-enemy-1200428749/)
- **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The page identifies a review of the specified film, but its contents were blocked. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/sleeping-with-the-enemy-1991)
- **Radio Times**, John Ferguson (3/5): Ferguson finds the thriller effective, though it does not reach the scare factor of the director’s earlier work. He praises Julia Roberts’s performance and Patrick Bergin’s relish for the villainous role. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-avkxqv/sleeping-with-the-enemy/)
- **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (30/100, inferred): The review is negative about the film’s thriller mechanics. It singles out the contrived premise as a weakness. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/08/movies/review-film-sure-she-s-pretty-pretty-scared-too.html)
- **Empire**, Jack Yeovil (20/100, inferred): The critic dismisses the film as a silly, lightweight thriller that trivialises its subject. He gives some credit to the suspense during the dark-house stalking, but complains about its cheap final scare. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sleeping-enemy-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, SHEILA BENSON (10/100, inferred): Benson finds the film sleek and watchable but ultimately empty, arguing that its melodrama sacrifices the novel’s realism and psychological depth. She especially criticizes its shallow treatment of abuse and Julia Roberts’ bland portrayal of a damaged survivor. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-02-08-ca-511-story.html)

## Details

- **Director:** Joseph Ruben
- **Director:** Joseph Ruben
- **Screenplay:** Ronald Bass
- **Novel:** Nancy Price
- **Cinematography:** John Lindley
- **Editor:** George Bowers
- **Music:** Jerry Goldsmith
- **Production design:** Doug Kraner
- **Producer:** Leonard Goldberg
- **Cast:** Julia Roberts as Laura Burney / Sara Walters; Patrick Bergin as Martin Burney; Kevin Anderson as Ben Woodward; Elizabeth Lawrence as Chloe Williams; Kyle Secor as John Fleishman; Tony Abatemarco as Locke; Claudette Nevins as Dr. Rissner; Marita Geraghty as Julie
- **Runtime:** 1h 39m
- **First release (Italy):** 13 January 1991
- **Genres:** Drama, Thriller
- **Budget:** $19 million
- **Box office:** $175 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcQqsrf2gik

## Where to watch in Slovenia

- Disney+: streaming, hd

*Checked 2026-10-04.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Gaslight* (1944), Fi1m 81: Another marriage built on fear, with sharper attention to psychological control. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/gaslight.md)
- *The Invisible Man* (2020), Fi1m 76: A woman’s fear of her partner becomes sustained, carefully organised suspense. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-invisible-man.md)
- *The Night of the Hunter* (1955), Fi1m 91: Domestic menace made frightening through space, shadow and an unnervingly persuasive villain. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-night-of-the-hunter.md)
- *Phoenix* (2014), Fi1m 68: A changed identity and a damaged marriage receive far more patient scrutiny. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix.md)
- *Alice, Darling* (2022): A quieter account of coercive control, attentive to the difficulty of leaving.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/sleeping-with-the-enemy