To some, the idea of living forever, or at least cheating death, can seem like a curse. But think about a world where you can continue living free of life-threatening illnesses or similar catastrophes. Well, to clarify, it’s not you who takes a licking and keeps on ticking. We’re talking about a clone. And this duplicate is a living, breathing individual who begins to make their own life (interests, thoughts, preferences) the moment carbon starts to cool. Now your fate is sealed, but this new version of you will be around simply for the sake of your loved ones. Quite a freeing concept, huh?
But when told through the lens of Riley Stearns, things don’t go as planned. And in his hands, this story takes a turn when the very terminally ill protagonist makes a full recovery…and everyone prefers the clone to the prime. Stearns won fans with The Art of Self-Defense, and his latest effort – a very Twilight Zone feeling concept – really elevates itself with the deep dives into feelings and emotions of the prime character and their double.
This film is so deftly crafted it walks a captivating line between the brilliance of Tarantino style dialog, and the deadpan quirkiness of a Jared Hess film. It’s dense and yet minimal, heavily textured yet refined, laser focused yet aloof. Think of Steven Wright doing sci-fi. Yes, it’s so crazy, it works. Well! Of course, if you’ve seen The Art of Self-Defense, you’ll be prepared for the dark humor, violence and the world-building that Stearns juggles so well.
We got to speak with Riley about the film which is lean and minimalist, and that allows the writing to drive the bus. Duel has some very thought-provoking ideas, and films about clones don’t come along very often; probably because it takes incredible skill and vision to pull off and not be cheesy. You can go the Harold Ramis route or, to some extent, the Richard Ayoade route. Credit where it’s due, Stearns looks at that road map, then takes a path straight down the middle. While this is a very sly and understated sci-fi narrative, the themes and relatable social concepts really make some noise.
So jump into the fun with us as we interview Riley about Dual which is something you need to see ASAP!
