Everyone likes to daydream strange scenarios whether they are bored at work, in the car, or just zoning out at home. It could be dreaming about what you did if you won the lottery, what it would be like to be a celebrity, or maybe thoughts of having superpowers. Director Riley Stearns on the other hand, wondered what it would be like to live in a world where you could buy a clone of yourself to replace you if you become terminally ill. More so what if the original survived their illness and the government require you to fight your clone till only one remain? The result of those thoughts is Dual.
Sarah (Karen Gillan) leads a pretty average life, a difficult long distance relationship with her boyfriend, an overbearing mom constantly calling her, and a less than active lifestyle. What isn’t average is the incredible rare stomach illness that turns out to have a 98% mortality rate, that she is assured will kill her. In hopes of avoiding upsetting the people in her life she purchases a a replacement, a Sarah double (also Karen Gillan) to replace her when she eventual dies. To everyone’s surprise, especially Sarah’s boyfriend and mother who have fallen in love with the double, Sarah goes into remission and she wants her life back. When the double refuses to be decommissioned both Sarahs are informed that only one is allowed to be alive and the solution is a duel to the death.
What sounds like a premise straight out of a Paul Verhoeven film commercial gag, Dual is something that comes off as completely fresh and new, while feeling like a classic sci-fi horror. While the premise is deeply unsettling at its core the film is shockingly funny. With the way much of dialogue if purposely delivered in a very dry matter of fact way, it leads to the humor hitting so much harder with a truly fantastic script.
Speaking of the acting, some audiences may have a slight disconnect with the way every character in Dual delivers their dialogue, even truly outrageous line reads, with robotic inflections. At a Q&A with the director, Riley Stearns assured the audience that this was intentional. In creating a world where there is a clone program as well as a plan in place on a duel to the death if they both want to exist, this is how people talk. While it can be disconnecting at first if you give yourself over to it, the absurdity of the script, the situations, and world, the speaking mannerisms only heighten the comedy and the bizarre nature of the world.
In a time where the world is constantly changing with new restrictions to the movie industry to keep people safe, many are still finding their footing, let alone making original and engaging films. What Riley Stearns does with Dual is not only fun and unexpected but incredibly exciting. Filmed during the height of the pandemic with a skeleton crew in Finland, it shows that a competent director, a great concept, and a dedicated crew can make something fantastic even under the harshest conditions.
Dual hits theaters tomorrow, April 15th, so do yourself a favor and treat your double to a killer good time. No fights to the death in the parking lot after. Here’s another HorrorBuzz take on Dual, if you’re interested–it only makes sense that there’d be two!
8 out of 10
| Dual | ||
| RATING: | R |
Dual Trailer #1 (2022) | Movieclips Trailers  |
| Runtime: | 1 Hr. 35 Mins. | |
| Directed By: | ||
| Written By: | ||
