Overview
A tense battle of wits unfolds on the open road as a man fights for his life against a relentless pursuer.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- oppressive
- paranoid
- late night suspense viewing
- classic thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praise Duel as a highly efficient, expertly directed suspense film whose simple premise becomes gripping genre cinema.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
David Mann is an unremarkable businessman whose desert drive turns into a survival contest against the apparently psychotic tanker driver.
The tanker truck and its unseen driver remain deliberately opaque, making the vehicle itself the film's dominant threat.
Empty California roads, truck stops, and gas stations repeatedly leave David exposed with little reliable help nearby.
Spielberg turns car crashes, highway maneuvers, and the tanker’s physical presence into major visual set pieces for Universal Television.
Films like Duel, and why
Roadgames
A stripped-down pursuit thriller that turns an ordinary road journey into escalating psychological terror.
The Hitcher
Shares Duel's isolated-road setting, relentless vehicle menace, and suspense built from minimal premises.
Breakdown
A lean, atmospheric chase film where a seemingly routine drive becomes a fight for survival.
Movie Details
- Director
- Steven Spielberg
- Release Date
- 1971-12-25
- Runtime
- 74 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (2148)
Cast
- Dennis Weaver
- Jacqueline Scott
- Eddie Firestone
- Gene Dynarski
- Lucille Benson
- Tim Herbert
- Alexander Lockwood
- Shirley O'Hara
- Carey Loftin
- Charles Seel
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Duel about?
- A mild-mannered California salesman becomes the target of an unseen trucker in a relentless desert-road survival chase.
- What is Duel like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Duel as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Duel violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Duel as mild.
- What did critics think of Duel?
- Critics broadly praise Duel as a highly efficient, expertly directed suspense film whose simple premise becomes gripping genre cinema.
- Which films are like Duel?
- Films with a similar feel include Roadgames, The Hitcher, and Breakdown.
- How long is Duel?
- Duel runs 74 minutes.
- Where can I watch Duel?
- In United States, Duel is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
