Written and directed by Riley Stearns
Starring Karen Gillan, Aaron Paul and Beulah Koale
Running Time 1 hour and 35 minutes
MPAA Rating for violent content, graphic nudity, some sexual content and language
In theaters April 15, available digital, on demand and AMC+ May 20

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport and Editor in Chief

*Spoilers… don’t say I did not warn ya old sport!

There have been moments in my life where I wish I had a double.

By having a Kicks duplicate I could get so much more done. On days I don’t feel like going to my mundane job (spoiler: everyday) I could send them in my stead. I would no longer need to be concerned with an invitation to a pesky baby shower… I’d just send Rosalie 2.0 along with a gift. I’d finally have time to conduct all those experiments in my lab and who knows maybe even finally build that doom buggy I’ve always been pining for. In Riley Stearn’s third feature, Dual he brings the fantasy of duality to a reality.

Sarah (Karen Gillan) does not seem to have much going on in her life until she finds out that she has a terminal disease. Prior to this devastating news, her existence consisted of going through the motions with a side of whiskey en route to destination, Naptown with a pit stop to pornhub. Upon learning of her imminent demise, she is suddenly overwhelmed with priorities such as bucket list items, goodbyes and of course the final arrangements. The preparations for departure though include more than just burial plans or last will and testament, there is also the cloning appointment.

The film is set in an undetermined time in the future and the human replication process is very much like visiting a fast food drive-thru. This speedy procedure is offered as a way to assist loved ones with a person’s passing. The clone will inevitably take the place of the deceased which will keep family and friends from having to go through the experience of grief. Something to note is that not just anyone can walk in to the clinic and acquire a clone. There has to be extenuating circumstances such as learning that the Grim Reaper is lurking and a person’s days are numbered. If one meets the eligibility, a clone is approved. In fact, it is best to have the twin spend as much time with you prior to expiration so that they are able to learn just exactly what it is that makes you, you.

With coffin time just around the corner, Sarah does not believe she has much time to give her double the grand tour so she throws her into the deep end so to speak. So much so, she encourages the her carbon copy to have regular conversations with her mother, go on dates with her boyfriend and even partake in sexual escapades. However, months go by and Sarah still finds herself alive and kicking. When she learns that her once incurable disease has now gone into remission, she finds herself in a bit of a pickle. Unfortunately, too much time has passed to ask for the decommission of her clone as, Sarah 2.0 now has civil rights. Therefore, the only way to resolve the issue is partake in a duel for the right to live.

What I enjoyed most about this film was Karen’s eccentric performance. Her deadpan bluntness and awkward social mannerisms make this character memorable. I found her pragmatic sensibilities extremely relatable and I was invested in this Sarah’s situation, concerned for her. This is the type of story that I love to watch unfold. The plot got the gears in my brain spinning and had me imagining “what if” I found myself in this situation. There is grand flip when it is realized that maybe finding out you are unexpectedly dying is not the worst possible scenario one could find themselves in. Instead, the possibility of potentially facing off to the death against your exact replica is far more troubling.

They are given a year to prepare for the duel. Sarah employs a trainer named Trent (Aaron Paul) that specializes in the situation that Sarah finds herself in. His goal is get her body into shape but to also ensure that she is emotionally prepared to not just commit murder, but to execute herself. I quite enjoyed Karen and Aaron’s scenes together. A highlight for me was the dance sequence, as Sarah offers to teach him hip hop workout dancing in exchange to continue training as she finds herself low on funds after her savings are depleted from thinking she was going to die.

This movie definitely had me contemplating my existence in ways that I never did before. I was fortunate enough to watch the premiere during Sundance earlier this year, right before taking a trip to Disney World. While entering the park, I had to scan my fingerprint (for ticketing identification purposes) and it left me convinced the mouse had most definitely taken my DNA to create a clone that would inevitably live out their days working within the confines of the most magical place on earth. If that is all they ever know, maybe life would not seem that bad. Or would they hate their existence? I could not help but think of the situation in Dual. The lengths that one would go not just to survive but in the end is it even worth bothering to do so? Regardless, I pity the fool that creates a second Kicks because that scenario can only equate to one thing: double the trouble.