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Dual is a bizarre dark comedy with the kind of dry humor that will either make you laugh or go “What the f***?” if not both!
| Director(s) | Riley Stearns |
| Screenplay By | Riley Stearns |
| Date Released | 4/14/2022 |
| Where To Watch | In Theaters |
| Genre(s) | Action, Comedy, Drama |
| Duration | 1 Hour and 35 Minutes |
| Content Rating | R |
| Noted Cast | |
| Sarah | Karen Gillan |
| Peter | Beulah Koale |
Film Summary
With being told she has a terminal disease rooted in her stomach, Sarah prepares to die by having a double of herself made to comfort her boyfriend Peter and her mom. However, after ten months of waiting to die, she learns she is in remission. This sucks for her since her double has already taken over her life and relationship, and while decommissioning a double is an option, unfortunately, it isn’t once the double has its own identity.
So, in order to get her life back, Sarah has to kill her double in a duel or be killed, and the double will officially get to take over your life.
Things To Note
- Reason(s) for Film Rating: Cursing (Throughout), Violence (Graphic imagery due to violence), Sexual Content (Nude female body in a morgue), Miscellaneous (Moments when Sarah coughs up blood)
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- What did Sarah do for work?
Character Descriptions
Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.
Sarah
Sarah is under the impression that a gestational disease, which causes her to cough up blood, is going to kill her. Her longtime boyfriend Peter is aware of this, and because of that, he doesn’t break up with her like he seemingly wants to. But with her thinking things are okay, she tries to set someone up for him to not be sad and so that her mom wouldn’t even know she is gone. But that goes awry.
Peter
Peter is a team lead at his job, and is quite popular and perhaps ill-matched for the original Sarah, who is a homebody and has an aversion to social activities.
Sarah’s Double
Despite doubles supposedly being imitations of their original, Sarah’s double evolves to be almost Sarah’s opposite in time. She is more fashionable, adventurous in bed, a bit more attentive to Sarah’s mother, and well-liked. Which makes Sarah not dying an issue for everyone and the reason Sarah gets so upset about Sarah’s Double stealing her life.
Review
Highlights
The Humor
What Dual employs is dry humor. The kind where no one laughs, Sarah says things often deadpan, and you’re left laughing because of how awkward the moment is. For example, Sarah’s reaction to learning she is dying and what the doctor says to her, with a straight face? It’s hilarious since the doctor talks about wanting their body to be buried to coerce people to visit, and Sarah isn’t crying or anything like that. She is just processing in a way that is so to the point and matter of fact that it makes you wish the credits had a blooper reel because you know that multiple scenes had to have multiple takes.
However, that’s not the only funny part worth mentioning. Once Peter starts moving on from the original Sarah, you will be shocked and laughing simultaneously, for sometimes the film goes into the territory of not wanting to be ridiculous but definitely to push you to question and laugh at people’s audacity.
It’s Quick
While you may feel that Dual could have been shorter while watching, especially when you get told the duel you have been waiting for gets postponed a month, when the credits roll, you will say, “That’s it?” Maybe to the point of feeling like something is missing, but how the film ends is very much in line with how it began, and it’s middle, in you being left questioning, “What the f***?”
On The Fence
It’s Not As Violent As You Expect
Unfortunately, Dual is not as violent as it may push you to think it is or will be. There is violent imagery, especially multiple uses of a crossbow, but as for us seeing multiple people duel their doubles? That doesn’t happen. We get one duel, and honestly, like most of the violence, we get a scene of the aftermath but not the actual dying/killing part.
Which might be fine for you since when the film wants to be, it can make each stab or puncture cause you to wince. However, it is far more interested in awkward comedic moments than being a violent film.
Overall
Our Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing)
If films that are a bit bizarre are your thing, but not so bizarre they seem niche, Dual was made for you. It has the kind of humor that New York and big city audiences may like, with solid writing and performances. And while you may be disappointed by its lack of violence, I’d submit the possibility of violence was meant to be a hook, not the main sell here. What Dual really wanted you to do was laugh.
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