Dual

"The only thing that can stop you is you."

2022 1h 35m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 407

Science FictionComedyDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A terminally ill woman opts for a cloning procedure to ease her loss on her friends and family. When she makes a miraculous recovery, her attempts to have her clone decommissioned fail and lead to a court-mandated duel to the death.

“The only thing that can stop you is you.”

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Cast

Karen Gillan
Sarah
Aaron Paul
Trent
Beulah Koale
Peter
Theo James
Robert Michaels
Elina Jackson
Official with Flags
Maija Paunio
Sarah's Mother
Rea Lest-Liik
Emergency Room Receptionist
Sanna-June Hyde
Gastroenterologist

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Riley Stearns
Writers: Riley Stearns
Languages: English
Countries: Canada, Finland, United States of America, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $4.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 4 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: Canada, Finland, United States of America, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Riley Stearns, shot by Michael Ragen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Emma Ruth Rundle. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sarah Beth Shapiro shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Karen Gillan and Aaron Paul and Beulah Koale carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The only thing that can stop you is you.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Riley Stearns directs. Michael Ragen behind the camera. Emma Ruth Rundle scores. Sarah Beth Shapiro cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Canada, Finland, United States of America, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $4.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Released 4 years ago.
3International production across 4 countries: Canada, Finland, United States of America, United Kingdom.
4Directed by Riley Stearns, shot by Michael Ragen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Emma Ruth Rundle. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Sarah Beth Shapiro shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Karen Gillan and Aaron Paul and Beulah Koale carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The only thing that can stop you is you.".
9IMDB entry: tt9005184 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 17 themes, including "clone", "affectation", "terminal illness", "duel".

The technical file

Cinematography: Michael Ragen
Original score: Emma Ruth Rundle
Editing: Sarah Beth Shapiro
Production design: Sattva-Hanna Toiviainen
Costume design: Janne Karjalainen
Makeup / hair: Iida Rajaviita
VFX supervisor: Sophia Jooyeon Lee
Sound: Paul Shubat
Stunt coordinator: Kimmo Rajala
Runtime: 95 min · 1h 35m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $4,500,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Dual (2022)

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Riley Stearns

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Manuel São Bento2022-02-21
★ 4/10
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/dual-spoiler-free-review-sundance-2022 "Dual boasts an intriguing, high-concept premise that entirely commits to Riley Stearns' deadpan satire. But despite being full of purpose and intent, the latter component is taken to such an extreme that it negatively impacts everything which surrounds it. Every filmmaking and storytelling element feels incredibly underwhelming and ultimately hollow. Audiences will struggle to find enjoyment in a world full of interesting ideas; infused with divisive execution." Rating: C-
Chris Sawin2022-04-21
★ 6/10
With Dual, the story beats are a bit predictable but Karen Gillan’s purposely flat yet absorbing performance and the sheer thought of having to face yourself in a duel to the death while some clone imposter takes over your life make the film worthwhile. It’s definitely a different kind of film outside of the mainstream, but it also falls slightly short of expectations. Riley Stearns is capable of being funny and has proven that before in the past, but Dual fails to really capitalize on being laugh out loud funny. It’s an unorthodox twist on a familiar concept that attempts to dive into unexplored territory. However, Dual isn't able to fully immerse itself in the offbeat absurdities that tend to make Riley Stearns films so enjoyable. Full review: https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Dual-2022-Review-The-Imitation-of-an-Eccentric-Film
Mex51502022-06-25
★ 9/10
Watched Dual last night/this morning. Bloody fantastic film. I thought it was just going to be yet another low-brow SFX laden action thing with loads of fight scenes, not really my thing, but Karen Gillan was in it, so I thought I'd give it a go before crashing out. Not at all what I expected. It's actually a really clever dystopian black comedy with fantastic performances from everybody involved. It's getting a lot of hate, seemingly because many others thought it was going to be the same film I thought it was, but unlike me, they were disappointed it wasn't actually that. The interesting thing about it is, it seems designed to have two seemingly open possibilities of how it ended, but in reality depending on which people choose to accept, you can see how closely they paid attention and thought deeply (or not) about the film. If you want an action movie, give it a miss, but if you like cerebral black comedies, watch it ASAP!