Duel

PG

Now Playing

1h 35m

Mystery & Thriller

List

89%

45 Reviews

Tomatometer

84%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

David Mann (Dennis Weaver), a mild mannered electronics salesman, is driving cross-country on a two-lane highway when he encounters an old oil tanker driven by an unseen driver who seems to enjoy annoying him with dangerous antics on the road. Unable to escape the demonic big rig, David finds himself in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the monstrous truck. When the pursuit escalates to deadly levels, David must summon his inner warrior and turn the tables on his tormentor.

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Critics Consensus

Duel makes brilliant use of its simple premise, serving up rock-solid genre thrills while heralding the arrival of a generational talent behind the lens.

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Liz R

It's riveting. I liked the fact that the car driver was an unattractive character - impatient and bad tempered. It made it easier to watch the movie more dispassionately than if I really cared about him. I don't think I'd have minded too much if the truck had got him! However, the end was awesome.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/21/24

Full Review

Dave S

You've got to think that if Duel had been directed by anyone other than Steven Spielberg (of note: his first feature film), it would be a long-forgotten relic of a period where made-for-TV movies were a dime a dozen. The story is simple: a businessman (Dennis Weaver) engages in a deadly game of cat and mouse with a maniacal truck driver, a case of road rage run amok. It's not a bad movie by any stretch, but there are simply far too many leaps of logic (maybe call the wife to explain that you'll be late for dinner because you have to take another route home or just call the police) and the story just drags on for far too long considering the premise. Granted, it has its moments but there are just not enough of them.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/17/24

Full Review

Scott_84

Brilliant film.........watched it untold times

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/02/24

Full Review

Alec B

The simplicity of the premise allows the audience to attach whatever meaning they desire to the narrative (a conflict of masculinity, class anxiety, a monster movie, etc.) so that just about everyone is satisfied by the end.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/21/24

Full Review

Brianna B

Only Spielberg can make a movie about a truck chasing after a guy entertaining

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/12/24

Full Review

Mike C

Le génie de Spielberg dans un film a petit budget est toujours un bon film !!!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/24

Full Review

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David Mann

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Mitchell Beaupre

Little White Lies

This is a film stripped back to its bare essentials, and Spielberg thrives in having to get creative to make each moment feel as fresh and energised as the last.

Rated: 4.5/5

Sep 22, 2022

Full Review

Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

A shoestring marvel.

Rated: 4/5

May 29, 2021

Full Review

Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

This simple premise -- a killer truck stalks a driver -- becomes the basis for an exceptionally fraught and well- made suspense film.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 14, 2018

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Duel might not have meant much at the time of its ABC premiere but cinephiles owe a lot to the film because it launched Steven Spielberg's professional career as a feature filmmaker.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 23, 2022

Full Review

Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Famous for being Spielberg's first big break, it deserves to be remembered better in its own right.

Rated: 8/10

Jan 26, 2021

Full Review

Andrew Collins

Radio Times

Once you've seen it, you'll never forget it.

Rated: 5/5

Nov 17, 2017

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

David Mann (Dennis Weaver), a mild mannered electronics salesman, is driving cross-country on a two-lane highway when he encounters an old oil tanker driven by an unseen driver who seems to enjoy annoying him with dangerous antics on the road. Unable to escape the demonic big rig, David finds himself in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the monstrous truck. When the pursuit escalates to deadly levels, David must summon his inner warrior and turn the tables on his tormentor.

Director: Steven Spielberg
Screenwriter: Richard Matheson
Production Co: Universal TV
Rating: PG, TV-PG (L)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2015
Runtime: 1h 35m

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