Duel (1971) TV Movie

A business commuter is pursued and terrorized by a malevolent driver of a massive tractor-trailer (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Written By: Richard Matheson
Starring: Dennis Weaver, Lucille Benson, Jacqueline Scott, Shirley O'Hara, Gene Dynarski, Lou Frizzell, Eddie Firestone, Tim Herbert, Charles Seel, Carey Loftin
Genres: Suspense/Thriller, Action, Mystery
Country: USA
Where to Stream
Loading...


Duel belongs to 38 collections
1. Features under 91 minutes (collaborative: moderated by epiphany - 56 stars)
2. Psychotronic Film and Video Guides (collaborative: moderated by Gregzilla - 40 stars)
3. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2008 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Scottathon - 39 stars)
4. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2010 revision) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 32 stars)
5. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2014 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Jehan - 27 stars)
6. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2012 revision) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 25 stars)
7. 24 hour (or less) timeframe (collaborative: moderated by djross - 24 stars)
8. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)
9. The Best Hitchcock Movies (That Hitchcock Never Made) (collaborative: moderated by teckgecko - 17 stars)
10. Directorial debut (collaborative: moderated by djross - 16 stars)
11. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2013 revision) (collaborative: moderated by rant1229 - 16 stars)
12. Edgar Wright 1000 Favorite Movies (Aug 2016) (collaborative: moderated by Aron Ericson - 16 stars)
13. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2011 revision) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 14 stars)
14. Films available in HD (collaborative: moderated by kubricksucks - 13 stars)
15. Road Trip (collaborative: moderated by td888 - 12 stars)
16. Rue Morgue Magazine's 200 Alternative Horror Films You Need to See (public: jimmyjazz - 11 stars)
17. Telemovie (collaborative - 6 stars)
18. Voiceover narration (collaborative: moderated by djross - 5 stars)
19. Very Small Cast (collaborative: moderated by shalev - 5 stars)
20. 500 essential cult films (not seen) (public: cayh - 5 stars)
21. Top 3000 movies with the most votes on IMDb (public: fanfic - 5 stars)
22. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2007 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Scottathon - 4 stars)
23. cultfilms (public: medium123 - 4 stars)
24. Coheed's Films I Need To See Or Try To Track Down (public: Coheed - 3 stars)
25. Daylight Horror (collaborative: moderated by birgitbrause - 1 star)
26. Trucksploitation (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 1 star)
27. Movies to See: Horror/Suspense (public: Lord Moe - 1 star)
28. Carsploitation (collaborative: moderated by ForrestQ)
29. Ratings (collaborative: moderated by cheapthrills)
30. BMIRussian movies list (collaborative: moderated by SibVIc)
31. Directed By Steven Spielberg (collaborative: moderated by Jerky)
32. Trucks and Trucking (collaborative: moderated by Grumblebutt)
33. BF-70 (public: caffe)
34. Filmspotting Ratings Project: Week 32 (public: PeaceAnarchy)
35. Forrest Watch List (public: ForrestQ)
36. Dunstan's DVD Collection (public: Dunstan-xxx)
37. 1970s Mile High Club (public: Dunstan-xxx)
38. 100 essential thrillers (public: rocketrac19)
Browse the full list of collections
Stars | User | Rating | |
3 | triffid | 88 77th |
|
"Duel" plainly shows how incredibly talented a filmmaker young Spielberg was. Minimalistic and thrilling. Highly recommended.
|
|||
3 | ![]() |
chow25 | 80 72nd |
Great simple suspense movie. Proves that you can make a good TV movie with no money if you're talented.
|
|||
3 | ![]() |
KasperL | 80 86th |
Spielberg's incredible debut is minimalistic, effectively suspenseful and stylistically inventive, with smart choices like going handheld when Mann is dizzy. Weaver is cast perfectly and the voice-over worked well. The only gripe is that you can fault the logic of his character's actions (why not turn back or wait it out on the top of a hill?) but this is dealt with through the theme of masculinity. And, really, would you be able to think clearly under these circumstances? Nail-bitingly intense.
|
|||
3 | ![]() |
spleen | 98 99th |
Minus two points for not using an ice cream truck. That would've been awesome. Great acting, directing, editing and pacing. I miss GOOD Spielberg movies.
|
|||
2 | ![]() |
djross | 60 62nd |
Probably the pinnacle of Spielberg's career. Also his first film.
|
|||
2 | ![]() |
Alex Watkins | 3 38th |
An interesting first feature from Spielberg. It manages to create suspense with almost a complete lack of plot. I mean, really, it's just a truck chasing a guy. You never even see the driver. It's weird. But entertaining.
|
|||
2 | ![]() |
joseywales | 63 40th |
You can't beat me on the grade!
|
|||
2 | ![]() |
frederic_g54 | 6 35th |
Everyone's gotta start somewhere I guess. With 'Duel', Spielberg gives character development the middle finger and despite some neat suspense, the story was tediously protracted. And don't get me started on that climax, what a total cop-out -- it clearly read "FLAMMABLE", you bearded douche!
|
|||
2 | ![]() |
luc | 95 98th |
Excellent suspense road-movie of Spielberg, one of the best I've ever seen ! Great !
|
|||
2 | ![]() |
hellboy76 | 68 65th |
Made about as well as a movie can be made for this budget. It feels a bit dated but still remains effective. Good taut thriller.
|
|||
2 | ![]() |
SpikyCactus | 75 64th |
Top badass moment? “You can't beat me on the grade!” As I frequently drive automatic, 3.5t vans limited to the same speed as most lorries, this is my battle cry of choice when dealing with them; (especially along the A34 through Oxfordshire, which has a lot of hills). I reckon I can best about 95%, given enough dual carriageway. Unfortunately, the other 5% make me feel I'm more inadequate than David Mann, such is the humiliation of being overtaken by one. No cats, chainsaws or decapitations.
|
|||
2 | ![]() |
Paxton | 73 73rd |
The truck has more personality than a lot of the slasher villains. Not as much personality as that truck from Maximum Overdrive though. Instead of AC/DC blasting throughout, there's an excellent minimalist score from Billy Goldenberg. Evidently Spielberg cut half of the scripted lines. This from guy who had Daniel Day Lewis look directly into the camera and say, "I'm Lincoln, bitch." although I might remember that wrong.
|
|||
1 | jpdoumeyrou | 85 88th |
|
a masterful lesson in movie-making Must see !!!
|
|||
1 | ![]() |
smeghead | 100 94th |
There is nothing better than a ghost truck wanting to kill!
The entire movie is one giant truck chase and I everyminute is perfect. Oh Spielberg you will never make anything better!
|
|||
1 | ![]() |
Pickpocket | 5 44th |
Not a terrible film but you can't help but wonder what it would be like if Spielberg made it today. But then you realize that cell phones exist and thus the premise of this movie would be stupid as shit today. Still pretty good and you can see some obvious Spielberg themes and camera work already at play. About as good as a no budget TV film can get.
|
|||
1 | legstump | 85 93rd |
|
I have been laughed at in 11 countries for claiming this is better than Jaws. 12 if you include protectorates of Denmark. Yet I still stand by that remark.
|
|||
1 | ![]() |
Paradiselost | 79 64th |
In your face, Death proof.
|
|||
1 | ![]() |
MJVmovieMan | 80 79th |
Spielberg's first outing as a director, and it's actually brilliant and suspenseful.
|
|||
1 | UKWinker | 87 60th |
|
A superbly tight little thriller which hangs largely on the performance of Dennis Weaver. I wonder what became of the promising young director who made it?
|
|||
1 | ![]() |
tonydal | 95 97th |
The scene with the sandwich I still think is one of the funniest in movies. The only debit is that Weaver's VOs are a bit (make that quite a bit) hammy at times.
|
|||
1 | ![]() |
AstralArtist | 90 74th |
Spielburg's first major film remains one of the best made for tv films ever produced.
|
|||
1 | ![]() |
lumpnboy | 60 68th |
Without a doubt Spielberg's finest achievement.
|
|||
1 | ![]() |
Fran020584 | 80 54th |
Cool - edge of your seat stuff
|
|||
1 | kav | 84 84th |
|
So so simple, and so brilliantly executed.
|
|||
1 | ![]() |
ted | 80 70th |
Incredible how much Spielberg does with so little here. This bare bones story of little more than a car chase somehow held me rapt.
|
|||
1 | ![]() |
Green Goblin | 63 77th |
Has some good suspense. But the chase scenes, at some parts, dragged too long. The ending was too abrupt. It would've been better if (SPOILER AHEAD!) we knew who the truck driver was and all that stuff. (END SPOILER) This film would've been better if it were a mystery . Btw, this film was better than ALL of the Spielberg films I've seen (E.T, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones).
|
|||
1 | ![]() |
Castroph | 9 96th |
Thin, thin plot surpassed by the menacing tension. Don't think Steven will ever live up to this.
|
|||
1 | ![]() |
Optimus_mike | 75 59th |
Life without a cell phone is scary shit.
|
|||
1 | ![]() |
FaultFinder | 80 84th |
This is a simple and very straightforward suspense movie. Yet it's done in a highly engrossing and effective manner - and it's good fun!
|
|||
1 | forehead1 | 70 87th |
|
There's only so much you can get out of this very thin premise but Spielberg milks it for all it's worth, showing a startling early flair that lifts Duel well above its made-for-TV roots. Few films manage to conjure up the suspense created here - I remember first seeing this as a young kid and being completely transfixed - and the truck is genuinely one of the most menacing baddies in cinema history. Personally I still think the finale's a bit weak, but I suppose it had to end somehow.
|
|||
1 | ![]() |
ribcage | 77 71st |
i like car movies. i like spielberg. they went together pretty well. it can drag like any 70s car movie, but the internal dialogue helps out both for keeping you from noticing the slow moments but also ramps up the tension and suspense.
|
|||
1 | doyler29 | 90 86th |
|
This magnificently simple film is kind of Spielberg's directorial debut ... it's a TV movie, and he had only directed TV series work before this, and this was released theatrically in Europe ... and it's a remarkably effective piece of work. It's pacing is flawless and it keeps up the suspense throughout. A lot of the credit belongs to Richard Matheson who's screenplay avries the circumstances enough to avoid monotony. This is effectively the audition reel for "Jaws".
|
Average Percentile 60.92% from 2437 Ratings | ![]() |