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Dual (2022) -
With A Different Man, The Substance and this movie, managing our identities has been a recurring theme lately, hasn't it? Is it because of the difficulty of reckoning with our actual and various social media identities? Whatever the reason, this a mostly satisfying, funny and likely Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, The Lobster) inspired movie set in a world where burial and cremation are not the only options for preserving your remains. In addition, you can generate a clone of yourself who continues your affairs after you're gone. Sarah (Gillan), a twentysomething hot mess whose only supposed bright spot is her relationship with boyfriend Peter (Koale), gets another reason to be miserable: she has a terminal illness. She goes through the cloning process, and as soon as the transference phase becomes less awkward, Sarah's life manages to get even more complicated.
Whether writer/director Riley Stearns is a Lanthimos fan or not, the trademarks that make his similar movies memorable are here as well, including a dearth of emotion, dark humor and ambiguity as to whether it's the future or an alternate timeline. They work here too, as does the uncompromising depiction of violence. One rule about the clones I haven't mentioned yet is that after a certain point, if a clone is unwanted, they and the original must fight to the death. Despite her deadpan delivery, Gillan manages to give both Sarahs depth and uniqueness, not to mention make the original into a hilariously pitiful person. Koale also makes you wonder if he is the villain of the piece for how well he makes Peter the worst kind of "nice guy," and Aaron Paul is a welcome sight as an unconventional combat trainer. Also, for such a spare and low budget production - it did not surprise me that Stearns filmed the movie during the pandemic - it does a good job at coordinating the Sarahs whether one or both are on screen.
This movie tells a unique and clever cloning story featuring an application of the technology I can imagine people paying for. It also successfully explores what would happen if things do not go according to plan and at demonstrating that a clone is a copy and not a better version of oneself. Regardless, I would describe this as a light satire of the average Lanthimos movie. I realize that great filmmakers like him inspire imitators, but it is possible to imitate and forge a unique identity at the same time (see Hitchcock superfan De Palma). While Stearns does not quite get there here, he comes close, and again, he sold me on his premise enough to recommend it. I just hope that his next project feels more like a Stearns movie, if you will...oh, and that Aaron Paul is at least available to play a bit part.
With A Different Man, The Substance and this movie, managing our identities has been a recurring theme lately, hasn't it? Is it because of the difficulty of reckoning with our actual and various social media identities? Whatever the reason, this a mostly satisfying, funny and likely Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, The Lobster) inspired movie set in a world where burial and cremation are not the only options for preserving your remains. In addition, you can generate a clone of yourself who continues your affairs after you're gone. Sarah (Gillan), a twentysomething hot mess whose only supposed bright spot is her relationship with boyfriend Peter (Koale), gets another reason to be miserable: she has a terminal illness. She goes through the cloning process, and as soon as the transference phase becomes less awkward, Sarah's life manages to get even more complicated.
Whether writer/director Riley Stearns is a Lanthimos fan or not, the trademarks that make his similar movies memorable are here as well, including a dearth of emotion, dark humor and ambiguity as to whether it's the future or an alternate timeline. They work here too, as does the uncompromising depiction of violence. One rule about the clones I haven't mentioned yet is that after a certain point, if a clone is unwanted, they and the original must fight to the death. Despite her deadpan delivery, Gillan manages to give both Sarahs depth and uniqueness, not to mention make the original into a hilariously pitiful person. Koale also makes you wonder if he is the villain of the piece for how well he makes Peter the worst kind of "nice guy," and Aaron Paul is a welcome sight as an unconventional combat trainer. Also, for such a spare and low budget production - it did not surprise me that Stearns filmed the movie during the pandemic - it does a good job at coordinating the Sarahs whether one or both are on screen.
This movie tells a unique and clever cloning story featuring an application of the technology I can imagine people paying for. It also successfully explores what would happen if things do not go according to plan and at demonstrating that a clone is a copy and not a better version of oneself. Regardless, I would describe this as a light satire of the average Lanthimos movie. I realize that great filmmakers like him inspire imitators, but it is possible to imitate and forge a unique identity at the same time (see Hitchcock superfan De Palma). While Stearns does not quite get there here, he comes close, and again, he sold me on his premise enough to recommend it. I just hope that his next project feels more like a Stearns movie, if you will...oh, and that Aaron Paul is at least available to play a bit part.