Dual

This bone-dry black comedy feels very much like Yorgos Lanthimos lite, with to-the-point dialogue its no-frills delivery being its most obvious feature. Having said that, taking inspiration from someone isn't a crime and it's not as if the movie is a rip-off. 'Dual (2022)' tells an oddball story about a terminally ill woman who has herself cloned in preparation for her guaranteed death in an effort to prevent those she loves from having to grieve her demise. Unfortunately for her, her boyfriend and mother seem to prefer her double, who soon becomes a person in her own right. Worse still, our hero doesn't die; in fact, she completely recovers. There can't very well be two of her, though, so she and her double are forced to undergo a duel to the death. The piece is quirky and uncomfortable, built upon some seriously dark satire that has the ability to both make you laugh and (far less literally) cry. It's uncompromising in its vision, yet it also knows how silly it is and slyly alludes to that. On the surface, it's totally serious, but its absurdity is purposeful and provokes a chuckle every now and again. It's also fairly subversive, even considering its inherently off-kilter nature. I can see how some people would struggle to connect to it; after all, the characters are purposefully icy and the dialogue is extremely on-the-nose by design. Though isn't as refined as it could be, it generally has a good grasp on its narrative and tone. If you can get on its wavelength, though, it's a fairly entertaining experience from beginning to end.