Ridley Scott’s 153-Minute Historical Thriller Officially Removed From Streaming
A costly period epic
The film was promoted as Scott’s return to the style of Gladiator. It was also described as the biggest box-office bomb Scott has directed this decade, despite a budget comparable to several of his recent films.
The article says Scott’s The Dog Stars grossed around $40 million worldwide against a reported budget of around $100 million. It calls that film a major setback, but identifies the period epic as the larger flop.
A story told three ways
The Last Duel is based on the last recorded duel in history, fought over a woman’s honor. Its plot revisits the incident from three different perspectives and leaves viewers to form their own judgments.
Damon, Comer and Driver play the three leads, while Affleck appears as a villainous supporting character. The film’s structure draws on Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon.
A reunion behind the script
Affleck and Damon reunited onscreen in the film and worked together on its script. They collaborated with filmmaker Nicole Holofcener, marking their first new project as writers since 1997’s Good Will Hunting.
Damon and Affleck won an Oscar for Good Will Hunting. The period epic is currently available to stream free in the United States, though the article says it will not remain there much longer.
Key points
- The Last Duel is currently streaming free in the United States, but is expected to leave soon.
- The film recounts a historical duel through three perspectives.
- Matt Damon and Ben Affleck co-wrote the script with Nicole Holofcener.
- The cast includes Jodie Comer and Adam Driver, with Affleck in a supporting role.