Movie 🎥 Review: “The Last Duel”

Rated: R with a 2 hr run time.

Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 86% the users an 81%.

Cast: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck, Harriet Walter, Alex Lawther and Serena Kennedy to name a few.

Film Description: Jean de Carrouges is a respected knight known for his bravery and skill on the battlefield. Jacques Le Gris is a squire whose intelligence and eloquence makes him one of the most admired nobles in court. When Le Gris viciously assaults Carrouges' wife, she steps forward to accuse her attacker, an act of bravery and defiance that puts her life in jeopardy. The ensuing trial by combat, a grueling duel to the death, places the fate of all three in God's hands.

The Last Duel is a 2021 epic historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Nicole Holofcener, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon, based on the 2004 book The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France by Eric Jager. An adaptation of Jager's book was first announced in 2015, though it was not officially greenlit until July 2019. Affleck and Damon were confirmed as stars and co-writers that month, with Comer and Driver joining the cast later that year. Filming took place in France and Ireland from February to October 2020, with a hiatus of several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 10, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 15, 2021, by 20th Century Studios. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of the cast and production values. It was selected by the National Board of Review as one of the 10 best films of 2021.

This film is an excellent new writing collaboration between Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Along with a fantastic cast, well acted with realistic sets, it tells the brutally realistic story of the last "legal duel" in France in the late 1300’s. Leave it to Ridley Scott to bring this film to life in a manner that leaves the audience to deduce what really happened in this sordid story from three different points of view.

It is difficult not to enjoy the film with the talented cast playing their roles………be advised the structure and the length of the film can make it feel a little slow, but don’t despair, it all comes together in the 3rd act.

Bottom line: It’s a powerful, ominous an absolutely brutal medieval film. Be prepared for some vivid scenes that may not be for everyone.

This definitely became one of my favorites for 2021……I watched this for $19.99 on Xfinity On-Demand - you can also find it on YouTube TV ($19.99), Apple TV ($19.99), Vudu ($19.99) and Google Play Movies & TV ($19.99)