Don Your Armor and Prepare to Watch 'The Last Duel'
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The good thing about movies is that, really, they last forever. So, even if a movie doesn't make a ton of money initially at the box office, there's always the chance that the right audiences eventually find it, and it becomes lasting cult favorite. Movies like The Big Lebowski and Fight Club have remained relevant and revered for far longer than many of the highest-grossing movies in the '90s; it's just about figuring which of our modern-day movies will get that same treatment. One obvious contender is The Last Duel, the tremendous 2021 movie that flopped at the box office but was greatly adored by critics and the audiences that did venture out to see it. Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, and Ben Affleck star in the film, a true story about a noblewoman who accuses a knight of assaulting her, and the resulting trial by combat, which turned out to be the last legally-sanctioned duel ever in France’s history.
From the trailer alone, it’s one of those movies that just screams cinematic. It’s gritty, dramatic, and intense. Plus, it’s a gripping story about the lengths people will go to to protect their honor. It's a movie about the truth, and while some attempted allusions and themes to cultural topics of today may come across a bit heavy handed, the movie is well-acted and compelling from start to finish. Matt Damon plays nobleman Jean de Carrouges, and Jodie Comer plays his wife, Marguerite. Adam Driver plays Jacques Le Gris, Jean’s best friend and accused assaulter of Marguerite. Jacques says he’s innocent, so to decide whether or not he’s guilty, Jean challenges his best friend to a trial by combat.
The Last Duel landed with an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and 81% from audiences, a fairly strong mark from both voting bodies. It was also one of our favorite movies of 2021. For fans of medieval dramas (like Netflix’s The King), The Last Duel will be all the historical spectacle you want, leading up to the trial by combat and the killing blow (director Ridley Scott, who you've certainly heard of before, is back in the same zone he was with 2000's Gladiator. And that's a good place to be.)
Honestly, while it doesn't quite seem like it will be, it should be a contender for a number of Oscars this year.
Here’s how to watch The Last Duel:
How to Watch The Last Duel
You can now watch The Last Duel in a number of different ways; the easiest, probably, is on HBO Max with a subscription.
Stream The Last Duel on HBO Max
You can also rent the movie however you normally would, on Amazon, Google Play, etc.
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