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The Last Duel

The Last Duel

The true story of a woman who defied a nation and made history.

2021152 minRMidcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Director
Ridley Scott
Starring
Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck

King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges settle his dispute with his squire, Jacques Le Gris, by challenging him to a duel.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Last Duel?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Last Duel streaming on Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Last Duel?

The Last Duel earns 8 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Top 10% of films.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Last Duel worth watching?

The Last Duel's Midcredits score is the 91st percentile of all films, from 593K ratings across 6 sources. 80% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

91st percentile

Better received than 91% of films

92nd percentile among Drama91st percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)88th
Approval (how many liked it)90th

74 /100

88th percentile of all films

91st percentile among Drama87th percentile among 2020s

Critics 67 · Audience 74

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

80% liked it

90th percentile of all films

91st percentile among Drama90th percentile among 2020s
80% rated it 7–1020% rated it 1–6

Critics 85% · Audience 81%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 5 wins / 44 noms overall

99th percentile

593K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 40 days to Oct 26Down 11% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$100M
Opening weekend$4.8M
Domestic gross$11M
Worldwide gross$31M

Returned 0.3× its budget — 92nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film uses a three-perspective Rashomon structure to tell a medieval rape accusation story, with high production values and a brutally realistic climactic duel.

Fans praised

  • Rashomon-style narrative reveals character biases and subjective truth
  • Jodie Comer's nuanced performance as the resilient Marguerite
  • historically authentic medieval production design and brutal final duel

Detractors panned

  • repetitive structure retelling nearly identical scenes three times
  • miscast American leads with distracting accents and anachronistic wigs
  • heavy-handed modern #MeToo messaging imposed on a medieval setting

What stands out

CinematographyDivisive80

lush period visuals and authentic medieval atmosphere

AtmosphereDivisive80

immersive, grimy medieval world-building

ActingDivisive75

Jodie Comer lauded as standout; Damon and Driver solid but some call Damon miscast

Effects and spectacleDivisive70

brutally realistic final duel and battle scenes

CharactersDivisive60

men self-serving and unlikeable; Marguerite written as virtuous but sometimes underwritten

Emotional impactDivisive60

Marguerite's plight moving but some find it manipulative

Plot and storyDivisive45

repetitive three-chapter retelling adds little new information

PacingDivisive35

dragging repetition makes 152-minute runtime feel overlong

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 12 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 6 points apart
  • Critics vs users 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 9 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Last Duel like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadCathartic
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brutal · 7% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Chaptered · 1% of films: Told in titled chapters or clearly separate parts.Multiple perspectives · 2% of films: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.
ToneThe film takes its historical material seriously, with no ironic distance, using the multiple perspectives to highlight subjective truth without undercutting the drama.
The rideThe film maintains high tension and dread throughout, culminating in the violent duel and its aftermath.
StructureThe film is divided into three titled chapters, each presenting a different character's recollection of the same events, creating a Rashomon-like structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingDevastating · 3% of filmsInfuriating · 4% of films: Leaves you angry at an injustice the film shows, never at the film.
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves the audience pondering the nature of truth and systemic injustice, while the graphic violence and tragic consequences are emotionally devastating, and the treatment of women is infuriating.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe story follows Jean de Carrouges as he challenges his former friend Jacques Le Gris to a duel after his wife accuses Le Gris of rape, framed through three conflicting perspectives.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% (this title) · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsBetrayal · 5% of filmsTrauma · 7% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film interrogates the medieval justice system where a woman's truth is secondary to masculine honor and legal procedure.
StanceThe film examines whose truth counts in a patriarchal system, without settling on a simple answer.

The world

MedievalRuralDomesticInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Harry Gregson-Williams
Setting14th-century France, castles and courts of King Charles VI
MusicThe score blends medieval-sounding motifs with Gregson-Williams' signature brooding electronic textures.

Content guide

Is The Last Duel okay for kids?

R

The Last Duel is rated R: “Rated R for strong violence including sexual assault, sexual content, some graphic nudity, and language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (88/100), sexual content at intense (74/100), language at moderate (56/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (35/100) and frightening material at severe (82/100). Overall it is heavier than 80% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 39 other countries
  • UK18
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland18
  • New Zealand16
  • JapanPG-12
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • AE15+
  • Argentina16
  • Belgium18
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceΚ-15
  • Hong KongIIB
  • Hungary16
  • IDR
  • IndiaA
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-16
  • MexicoB15
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland12
  • PortugalM/16
  • RON - 15
  • Russia18+
  • SAR18
  • SingaporeR21
  • SK12
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
  • Taiwan輔15
  • Türkiye16+
  • UA16+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 88% of all filmsHeavier than 80% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 80%
Sex & Nudity
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 93%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 31%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 33%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 82%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence, frightening material, and sexual content. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Last Duel have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Last Duel?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Matt Damon
as Sir Jean de Carrouges
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Adam Driver
as Jacques Le Gris
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jodie Comer
as Marguerite de Carrouges
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Ben Affleck
as Pierre d'Alençon
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Harriet Walter
as Nicole de Carrouges
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Marton Csokas
as Crespin
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Alex Lawther
as King Charles VI
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
William Houston
as Herald at the Duel
Oliver Cotton
as Jean de Carrouges III
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Zeljko Ivanek
as Le Coq
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Last Duel?

Movies like The Last Duel include Robin Hood (2010), Kingdom of Heaven (2005) and Macbeth (2015). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films by Ridley Scott, and most are films about royalty and aristocracy.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its world: medieval. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Last Duel?

4K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: soldier. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.