Parents' Guide to

Dual

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Mature content in odd but touching dark sci-fi comedy.

Movie R 2022 95 minutes
Dual Movie: Poster

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

jenonator
jenonator Parent
May 22, 2022
age 18+

Can't believe this is a recomendation for my 14 year old.

Porn noises in recommended movies for my 14 year old daughter? Really? Do Better Common Sense Media. Give parents more tools to get crap like this off their kids lists then mimick the decision with your suggestions based on content like that in other movies. We don't want porn. We don't want sexual oddities treated like acceptable entertainment. We don't want self harm either. DUH

This title has:

Too much sex
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In DUAL, Sarah (Karen Gillan) lives a passive life, drinking too much and chatting with her out-of-town boyfriend, Peter (Beulah Koale). After waking up with blood on her pillow, Sarah learns that she has a rare, fatal disease with no cure. She decides to clone herself in order to leave a part of herself behind for Peter and her mother (Maija Paunio). Months later, Sarah is still alive -- and the Sarah double has taken over her life and even stolen Peter. And then Sarah learns that she's not dying after all. When she tries to decommission the double, the double calls for a duel to the death. So with a year to get ready, Sarah starts training with survival specialist Trent (Aaron Paul). But even her new skills can't prepare her for what's next.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

A downbeat sci-fi tale mixed with dark, dry comedy, this funny, genuinely surprising, and surprisingly touching gem works beautifully thanks to its confident palette and committed performances. The third feature by writer-director Riley Stearns, Dual firmly establishes him as a filmmaker with a specific visual and tonal style, as well as one who's unafraid to explore tough themes of humanity. (It's hard not to recall his The Art of Self-Defense.) The movie opens with a swash of shocking violence (featuring Theo James) to set the tone and to establish the title's nifty double meaning, and then it introduces Gillan's Sarah in a brilliant sequence that checks off everything we need to know about her. It's only then that we might realize that this stuff is slyly funny; the humor creeps up on us.

Gillan's perfectly modulated performance provides most of the laughs. She's deadpan, to be sure, but she allows some emotion at the edge of her performance. Her line deliveries are sprinkled with uncertainty and self-doubt, and the mix makes her both hilarious and lovable. Dual gets even better when Gillan gets to act with herself -- and better still when Paul comes into the picture. His delivery is intense but gentle, and he complements her beautifully, especially in a scene where he asks her for a special favor. After a smattering of brutal moments mixed with sumptuous ones, the movie eventually takes a somewhat pessimistic turn -- it doesn't let viewers off easily -- but it also feels like a shared, existential experience. In this world, we're all laughing and crying together.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Dual's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • How is sex depicted here? Does it involve power? Loneliness? Love? Trust?

  • How is drinking depicted? Is it glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?

  • What do you think of the idea of cloning as represented by this movie? Would you clone yourself? Would you want a loved one to clone themselves?

  • What do you make of the movie's ending? Why is the Sarah clone crying? What do you suppose the original Sarah is going to do? Is this a happy or sad ending? Both?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: April 15, 2022
  • On DVD or streaming: July 19, 2022
  • Cast: Karen Gillan, Aaron Paul, Beulah Koale
  • Director: Riley Stearns
  • Inclusion Information: Polynesian/Pacific Islander actors
  • Studio: RLJE Films
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Run time: 95 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: violent content, some sexual content, language and graphic nudity
  • Last updated: May 25, 2023

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate