Who directed the 1998 hacker-themed thriller Enemy of the State?

Tony Scott directed the 1998 hacker-themed thriller Enemy of the State.

The film follows attorney Robert Clayton Dean after he unknowingly receives evidence connected to a covert surveillance operation. Once the National Security Agency realizes that the evidence exists, Dean becomes the target of an escalating pursuit involving electronic monitoring, data tracking, and political intrigue.

Will Smith stars as Dean, while Gene Hackman plays Edward “Brill” Lyle, a former intelligence operative and surveillance expert who helps Dean understand the technology being used against him. Hackman’s role sometimes leads viewers to connect the film with his earlier conspiracy thrillers, but Tony Scott was the director.

Tony Scott was known for visually energetic action films, including Top Gun, Crimson Tide, and Man on Fire. Enemy of the State was released in November 1998 and became an early mainstream thriller about the social consequences of networked surveillance and expanding digital data collection.