Natural Enemies is one of the worst movies I've ever seen - and since I've seen thousands upon thousands of movies, that's quite an insult. It was only out of sheer duty to my position on the Board of Directors of the Hot Toasty Rag Awards that I sat through its entirety, and since then, I've done everything I could to try and blot it from my memory.
If you want to destroy any wholesome image of Hal Holbrook from your mind, you can consider watching it. However, I still wouldn't recommend a viewing, because you might not be prepared for what you're getting into. Do you really want to see the man who portrayed Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln in sex scenes so graphic they're downright embarrassing to watch? Do you want to see him in a brothel? Do you want to see him loading a revolver, fantasizing about the mass murder of his entire family? Because that's what this movie is about. If that appeals to you, then you and I have different tastes and you shouldn't listen to me anyway.
I don't understand why Julius Horwitz and Jeff Kanew's screenplay got studio approval and backing from producers. I don't understand why Hal, Louise Fletcher, and José Ferrer signed on to act out such a disturbing, disgusting screenplay. At least Joe's character is supposed to be the voice of reason, expressing concern for the protagonist's mental state. But is the audience supposed to question the mental state of Hal and Louise for acting in the film in the first place? Perhaps Louise thought it would be funny to put the shoe on the other foot after One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; her character's backstory includes a stint in the mental ward, complete with shock treatment. But how could any woman agree to act out the other scenes in the film? I seriously urge you to never watch this movie. Even if you just want to try out the first fifteen minutes or so, the damage will be done. Natural Enemies is not a piece of art, and it does not excuse its sickness for the sake of fine acting. It, plain and simple, should never have been made.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to graphic sex scenes, upsetting violence, and disturbing adult content, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
