Pretty to look at, but the story itself is overly long and overly wrought, a flabby two-hour tale that feels about three.
– Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jun 2016
rotten:
Even when "The Duel" isn't very good, at least it's bad in surprising ways.
– Stephen Whitty,
Newark Star-Ledger,
24 Jun 2016
rotten:
"The Duel" has a few ideas and a glint of politics but is largely characterized by its perplexing shifts in tone and unpersuasive story turns.
– Manohla Dargis,
New York Times,
23 Jun 2016
rotten:
Situations are not always convincing, and motivations are so weak that whole sections of explanation seem to be missing.
– Rex Reed,
New York Observer,
23 Jun 2016
fresh:
Blessed with solid supporting character work and several scenes of genuine good fun, the movie manages to make its nearly two-hour run-time pass by easily enough, but not so much so that the seams on this patchwork quilt don't still show.