Jeremy Allen White and Austin Butler to face off in A24’s crime thriller Enemies from director Henry Dunham

Written and directed by Henry Dunham, the high-stakes criminal thriller Enemies featured Emmy winner Jeremy Allen White and Oscar candidate Austin Butler in Ari Aster's Square Peg banner produced the movie. A24 officially released it on May 14, 2025.

Filming is planned to commence in Chicago this summer, and an epic confrontation between a tenacious investigator and a notorious contract killer is in the works. Dunham's history of nail-biting thrillers, two of Hollywood's most talked-about celebrities spearheading the effort, and A24's growing star power all point to Enemies as a sure, eagerly awaited crime drama for this year.

Jeremy Allen White and Austin Butler to face off in A24’s crime thriller Enemies: more details

A24 announced in a May 14, 2025, news release that Enemies, a thriller about a tenacious detective playing a cat and mouse game with a famous contract killer, will feature Jeremy Allen White and Austin Butler.

Written and directed by Henry Dunham, the film is based on his previous effort, the critically praised thriller The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2018). Under their Square Peg brand, Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen, A24, and Alejandro De Leon are the producers.

Every discovery serves to define the basic conflict of the film: a psychological fight between two enemies navigating Chicago's filthy underbelly, even if the narrative is still unclear. Henry Dunham is back in control of Enemies with a screenplay that provides both severe action and unexpected narrative twists after the successful combination of these elements in his first feature.

Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen of Square Peg are in charge of production, continuing on their successful A24 partnership after their work on Aster's Eddington, which premieres at Cannes this week. Josh Bachove's inclusion provides the team with more seasoned eyes monitoring the progress of the initiative.

Emmy winner Jeremy Allen White has become the most interesting actor on television. In his most recent part, The Iron Claw, he demonstrated his versatility; next, he will portray Bruce Springsteen in the biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere; in The Mandalorian and Grogu, he will join the Star Wars universe.

Butler's captivating performances, which earned him an Oscar nod for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in Elvis (2022), have drawn continuous acclaim. Apart from his recent starring part in Ari Aster's modern Western Eddington, Butler is said to be connected to Michael Mann's Heat 2 and Luca Guadagnino's American Psycho adaptation.

Enemies, which uses the city's gloomy streetscapes, is scheduled to start major filming in Chicago this summer to reach its noir-tinged approach. Chicago is both a real-life urban backdrop and a tribute to the numerous excellent crime movies that have utilized the city as a backdrop.

Produced by A24 under a bold banner, Enemies promises to be an interesting criminal epic that honors the genre's legacy while forging its distinct path. It is expected to combine Jeremy Allen White's raw passion, Austin Butler's strong presence, and Henry Dunham's sharp directing vision. From fans to critics, everyone in Chicago will be watching this lethal cat-and-mouse game closely to see who emerges victorious once summer production starts.

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Divya Burman is a journalist at Primetimer 

She has completed her graduation in English Literature, which fuelled her interest in writing. A curious learner, Divya isn't scared to move out of her comfort zone and reviews her work from a critical point of view.

Divya has multiple years of work experience, including at companies like TechWhoop and Vimana. She also worked as a programme facilitator at MyCaptain.

Divya is also fond of research and keeping herself up to date on the latest trends in the world of fashion. In her free time, she indulges in music and reading and loves to watch films.