The Duel

It's a wonderful movie, but unfortunately I don't understand the ending and what the director, or rather the directors, wanted to say. That a human life is not worth a duel, or is it just a mockery of those times? The script and the characters in the movie are great, not just cardboard characters, but real characters who think about life and just live. I liked the acting of all the actors, especially Dylan Sprouse, I adore him, and I watched this movie for him. The movie also has intrigue, because every 15-20 minutes something new is revealed that helps you to understand each character, and a great mixture of humor and drama. And finally, the movie has a great atmosphere and soundtrack.

I thought based on the trailer that this movie was going to be terrible. Like I actually watched it because I thought hey, this is gonna be a really terrible movie and sometimes that's what I want to see. But unfortunately (fortunately), I was actually surprised by how much I loved this. It's pretending to be a dumb stoner comedy, but it's actually smarter than most movies claiming to be smart, and funnier than most films claiming to be a comedy. The deeper themes shined through especially at the end, and I couldn't have enjoyed more how they stuck the landing. Despite the fun I had watching, I'm not giving it ten stars because this movie is objectively a 7/10, although the experience was, for a low budget dark comedy, exceptional.

Reading twenty reviews or so, to see if this is worth watching or not, but I found them unhelpful. They all seem to be written by people close to the cast and/or crew. To give you an idea of what you're getting into, this movie is mostly dialog and little action. The storyline is about a guy who finds out his best friend has been sleeping with his girlfriend, thus taking him into a duel like it's the wild west!! It did not make sense even after I finished watching. You wonder why can't men resolve their differences in civil manner, or is that intentional propaganda? I'm all for independent filmmaking and do recognize the effort here. Budget-wise, it's a good production. Dialog is engaging, but it's nothing exceptional. I loved Patrick Warburton's performance. Would I recommend it to someone like me? Probably not. I'd skip it. But if you just wanted to pass time, it wouldn't be a total waste. There's great attempt from the filmmakers to make quality production here, from the writing, to the acting and cinematography. Therefore, I'm not giving it a rating lower than 5/10.

Masterfully shot. Great acting by a superb cast. Awesome sound. Innovative plot line for sure! And the complex ending toys with one's emotions. Funny and horrifying at the same time.

Warburton is phenomenal. Sprouse and Macaullife provide nuanced believable characters. Guttman is glorious. At any given point, any member of this large cast is doing the heavy lifting of carrying the movie!

Set in California and Mexico, with mysterious and opulent settings, this film was shot almost entirely in Indiana by up and coming Pigasus Pictures!

If you want to catch it on the big screen... it'll be on 500 screens nationwide on July 31 only! (Followed by a smaller number of theatres for a longer run). Will be a bit before it's streaming.

So put on your tux with tails and white tie (like the characters), grab a red Solo cup, and get to a theatre soon!

The Duel, starring Dylan Sprouse and Patrick Warburton, poses an interesting question, namely, can or should modern problems be solved with historic solutions. Specifically, was the antebellum tradition of dueling a bonafide, or even an honorable way for real men to settle serious personal disputes? While this may seem outrageous on its face to modern audiences, the film goes to great lengths to explain, after a fashion, the philosophical basis for a practice that presumably spanned many centuries. Of course, the idea that SoCal beach bums would readily adopt the Code Duello may strain the credulity of the viewer. Undoubtedly inspired, to some degree or another, by the success and notoriety of Hamilton on Broadway, The Duel posits an improbable question in a very engaging and watchable package. Patrick Warburton as the dueling expert is reason enough to watch this!