Dual Review: Karen Gillan Is A Double In Intriguing, Yet Flat Sci-Fi Drama [Sundance]
In writer-director Riley Stearns’ third feature, Dual, the future sees the cloning process as a regular part of society, where one can have a double and train them to act as they do. The film acknowledges the messiness such a concept could create and, while the dark comedy in Stearns’ bleak world can be rather great, Dual fails to fully explore its conceit.
Sarah (Karen Gillan) goes through her life like a zombie. She rarely leaves her couch, watches porn while drinking, takes calls from boyfriend Peter (Beulah Koale) half-heartedly, and avoids calling her mother (Maija Paunio) altogether. When Sarah is diagnosed with an incurable disease, she decides to go through a cloning procedure called “Replacement” to avoid her mother and Peter having to grieve her loss after she’s gone. However, a twist sees Sarah changing her mind about the clone, officially called Sarah’s Double (and also played by Gillan), who eventually files a motion to stay alive. This results in the pair being scheduled for a duel to the death that decides who gets to live as Sarah.
Related: Resurrection Review: Rebecca Hall Grounds Intense Psychological Drama [Sundance]
Dual occasionally has intriguing moments that suggest Sarah is only really interested in living when there’s a threat to her life, but there isn’t much of a spark to her actions beyond that. Sarah’s Double seems like a better version of her in every way — at least at first. She’s a great girlfriend, she calls Sarah’s mother every once in a while and texts her because she thinks it’s the right thing to do, and she’s even developed her own taste for food. What’s more, Sarah’s Double seems to enjoy life more immensely than Sarah ever did since she hasn’t been stuck in the monotony and sadness
Read more on screenrant.com
