The Last Duel is a 2021 epic historical drama movie directed by Ridley Scott, based on the 2004 book The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France by Eric Jager and written by Nicole Holofcener, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon.
The movie stars Damon as Jean de Carrouges, a knight who challenges his erstwhile friend, squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver), to a legal duel after his wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer), accuses Jacques of raping her. The events leading up to the duel are separated into three chapters, reflecting the three main characters’ opposing viewpoints. Affleck also plays Count Pierre d’Alençon, a supporting character.
The Last Duel had its international premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 10, 2021, and was distributed theatrically in the United States by 20th Century Studios on October 15, 2021. The movie earned great reviews from critics, who commended the cast’s performances and production quality, and compared it to Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon (1950).
It was named one of the top ten movies of 2021 by the National Board of Review. However, it underperformed at the movie office, generating only $30.2 million against a $100 million production budget.
