On the surface, Laura (Julia Roberts) and Martin Burney (Patrick Bergin) seem like the perfect couple. Behind closed doors, however, Laura's possessive husband subjects her to torturous physical and mental abuse. In a desperate bid to escape, she fakes her own death, pretending to fall overboard during a boat trip before secretly swimming to safety. Determined to start a new life, she changes her name, alters her appearance and begins a relationship with sweet new neighbour Ben (Kevin Anderson). As the pair grow closer, she gradually begins to put the past behind her, unaware that her maniacal husband has discovered the truth behind her deception and will stop at nothing to track her down.
Penned by Oscar-winning Rainman writer Ronald Bass, Sleeping with the Enemy is a nail-biting thriller, in the vein of 1987's Fatal Attraction. Roberts gives a typically eye-catching performance on the back of her Pretty Woman triumph and Bergin is terrifying as her twisted, psychotic husband. If you can turn a blind eye to a few preposterous plot holes, Sleeping with the Enemy is a highly entertaining thriller. The twists might be a tad predictable but a fine score by legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith helps ratchet up the tension as the film builds to its heart-stopping climax.
Sleeping with the Enemy is a Film programme that first aired in 1991 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
