Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

The Duel

  • 2016
  • R
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
12K
YOUR RATING
Woody Harrelson and Liam Hemsworth in The Duel (2016)
Trailer for The Duel
Play trailer1:30
8 Videos
45 Photos
Classical WesternDramaWestern

A Texas Ranger investigates a series of unexplained deaths in a town called Helena.A Texas Ranger investigates a series of unexplained deaths in a town called Helena.A Texas Ranger investigates a series of unexplained deaths in a town called Helena.

  • Director
    • Kieran Darcy-Smith
  • Writer
    • Matt Cook
  • Stars
    • Woody Harrelson
    • Liam Hemsworth
    • Alice Braga
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.8/10
    12K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Kieran Darcy-Smith
    • Writer
      • Matt Cook
    • Stars
      • Woody Harrelson
      • Liam Hemsworth
      • Alice Braga
    • 89User reviews
    • 33Critic reviews
    • 42Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins total

    Videos8

    The Duel
    Trailer 1:30
    The Duel
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:56
    Official Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:56
    Official Trailer
    Warning
    Clip 0:53
    Warning
    Standoff
    Clip 1:08
    Standoff
    Warning
    Clip 0:52
    Warning
    'The Duel': Warning
    Clip 0:49
    'The Duel': Warning

    Photos45

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 39
    View Poster

    Top cast46

    Edit
    Woody Harrelson
    Woody Harrelson
    • Abraham
    Liam Hemsworth
    Liam Hemsworth
    • David Kingston
    Alice Braga
    Alice Braga
    • Marisol
    Emory Cohen
    Emory Cohen
    • Isaac Brant
    Felicity Price
    Felicity Price
    • Naomi
    William Sadler
    William Sadler
    • Governor Lawrence Sullivan Ross
    Christopher James Baker
    Christopher James Baker
    • Monte
    • (as Chris Baker)
    Christopher Berry
    Christopher Berry
    • Dale
    • (as Chris Berry)
    Benedict Samuel
    Benedict Samuel
    • George
    Giles Matthey
    Giles Matthey
    • John
    Raphael Sbarge
    Raphael Sbarge
    • Doctor Morris
    Jason Carter
    Jason Carter
    • William
    David Born
    David Born
    • Hoot
    Lawrence Turner
    Lawrence Turner
    • Silas
    • (as Lawrence P. Turner)
    Kimberly Daugherty
    Kimberly Daugherty
    • Maria Calderon
    • (as Kim Hidalgo)
    John McConnell
    John McConnell
    • Saul
    • (as John 'Spud' McConnell)
    Jimmy Lee Jr.
    Jimmy Lee Jr.
    • Jesse Kingston
    José Zúñiga
    José Zúñiga
    • General Calderon
    • (as Jose Zuniga)
    • Director
      • Kieran Darcy-Smith
    • Writer
      • Matt Cook
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews89

    5.812.4K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    7ma-cortes

    This interesting film is paced reasonably well and turns out to be a fine vehicle for the two leads.

    A Texas Ranger , David Kingston (Liam Hemsworth) is assigned by his commandant (William Sadler) to investigate a series of unexplained deaths in a town called Helena where rules tyrannically a fake preacher named Abraham (Woody Harrelson) . There , David is appointed sheriff, then things go wrong.

    Pretty good and straightforward western dealing with thought-provoking issues , including thrills , go riding , noisy action , shootouts and lots of violence . Attractive but too slow at times , the movie is redeemed by its great performances , the realistic view of the Old West and by its rich array of charming roles. The two leading men Liam Hemsworth as David Kingston and Woody Harrelson as Abraham are magnificent in the hostile environment which the flick is set in . If you are a fan of the guys, Hemsworth and Harrelson , you'll want to watch this one ; they previously shared scenes in The Hunger Games film franchise. There are still nice scenes to see such as the saloon confrontation in similar style to Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven , the impressive final duel and other sparkling set pieces . It also results to be surprisingly gory along with a handful of violent and breathtaking action scenes . It results to be a thunder stuff with a strong star cast . The actors supporting who accompany the lead roles are fine , mostly acting decently , such as : Alice Braga , Emory Cohen, Felicity Price , William Sadler , Chris Baker , Chris Berry and Raphael Sbarge

    It displays colorful and riveting cinematography by Jules O'Loughlin , reflecting wonderfully the landscapes and the little town environment, being heavily filmed in state park Florewood, and Greenwood, Mississippi . Evocative and appropriate musical score by Craig Eastman. The motion picture was finely written by Matt Cook who produced as well and compellingly directed by Kieran Darcy-Smith .The latter is a good actor and director , known for Wish you were here (2012), Animal Kingdom (2010) , Wolf Creek (2016) and he has shot various episodes of notorious TV series . He's married to Felicity Price who in "The duel¨ plays an important role as Noemi . Rating : Good, it's competent enough, a straightforward entertainment that results to be an intriguing story turned into an OK actioner Western. However , this is definitely an adult-oriented flick because of the violence, amount of gore and some profanity language on hand. It's one of the best Western films of the last years. A must see for every enthusiast of a decent action western movie.
    mjmglsh

    An ambitious but flawed film that is average at best.

    Regrettably, the great genre of film that is the Western struggles mightily in our present time. Most Westerns are now low-budget, like The Duel, but that does not mean that it should be written off (I was pleasantly surprised that the recent release Forsaken was a decent Western). There are some positives in this film, yet negatives are rampant and I will note the primary ones.

    This film features a decent cast and an interesting story which involves an investigation surrounding missing people and an occult leader that has come to control the hearts and minds of the people of a small Texas town. However, besides a respectable performance by Liam Hemsworth, the cast is mediocre and forgettable with Woody Harrleson topping the list as being a cliché villain with forgettable, pretentious faux-intellectual dialogue.

    The action is average at best, and above all else there is a feeling that the writers or producers wanted to inject their opinion regarding the current treatment of Mexicans (something a reviewer on Roger Ebert's website noted) into a script already bogged down with murder, missing persons, revenge, a husband-wife relationship, a mysterious town, and a religious occult leader. It is subtle. However, it seemed out of place and unnecessary but that does not stop Hollywood from forcing a narrative or agenda into a movie, does it?

    Overall, this is a movie that had promise, but sub-par acting and a feeling that it did not know which plot point should receive the most attention weakened the film as a whole. If you like Westerns, you may find it more alluring because of the genre. Nevertheless, it is a one time watch that struggles and does not contribute anything of great worth.
    6smaromargari

    A pleasant western film.Nice plot,good cast

    Good cast,nice and interesting script but something's missing I don't know what exactly. Bad rating from the majority of the subscribers but I wasn't feel right the 2..4 or phrases like"waste of time" No it wasn't so bad ...but i agree that it's not a film for all.(I've read some reviews).A pleasant western film with quite fascinating plot.I'm not so much into the western films but I've enjoyed this one ...it wasn't captivating or something like that ,but not boring either.Everything was in place,every piece of the puzzle,the plot was there,the actors was there ,the action was there but something was missing.The whole movie was good though(6.7/10) even if I wanted,basically I needed a different ending .So,as a conclusion i want to say that the movie is worth seeing and enjoyable.Both Hemsworth and Harrelson were great and made the movie better .
    6zenn_mind

    Straight cut with no frills for the ride on the edge.

    Westerns for me is such a distinctive genre as owing to a specific time in history and being rooted in its universal themes that has been explored almost exhaustively.

    It's surprising then that one should come along with a kick to the teeth in the guise of a movie that's packaged lightly in terms of visuals and score. The story follows a young ranger and spouse as he has to face a man, who killed his father in a duel in the past, and now reigns supreme in a small town near the Mexican border.

    Harrelson is cut out for this role as a man who is on a self-righteous path of carrying out the will of the divine by means of brutality and chances of fate. He is a force to be reckoned with and overshadows all else around him but Hemsworth's Kingston is well versed himself in taking the law into his own hands. Almost too mechanical by way of showing how it's done but believe you me it's a slice of justice being dished out, nothing fancy, and enough to sit you down.

    The intrigue of spirituality that leads people on down a dark road is only touched upon as being an inexplicable power that makes few connections with the actual clandestine going ons that has brought the characters at odds with one another. Something as easily abused is often mistaken for something else but no one could possibly deviate from the course when Harrelson's fierce eyes are keeping watch.
    5cosmo_tiger

    A disappointing western that had a chance to be good but was just too slow and boring for me to get invested in.

    "We cannot separate ourselves from sin anymore than we can sever a limb from our bodies." There has been a rash of unexplained deaths In the small town of Helena, Texas. With no clue as to what is going on, David Kingston (Hemsworth), a Ranger is sent to investigate. When he arrives he discovers some strange characters including Abraham (Harrelson). The more David investigates the more he questions what is happening. This is a movie that had a chance to be really good. The cast is A-list and the plot is interesting. Where the movie fails is the pacing. This is just agonizingly slow that it made it really hard to pay attention to and I was really starting to drift and lose interest in. There are some interesting parts in this but a lot of the drama was lost on me because I struggled to stay involved in what was going on. Overall, a disappointing western that had a chance to be good but was just too slow and boring for me to get invested in. I give this a C-.

    More like this

    Forsaken
    6.4
    Forsaken
    Traded
    4.8
    Traded
    Jane Got a Gun
    5.9
    Jane Got a Gun
    The Duel
    4.5
    The Duel
    Murder East - Murder West
    6.6
    Murder East - Murder West
    Badland
    5.6
    Badland
    Blackthorn
    6.5
    Blackthorn
    The Pride of Jesse Hallam
    6.4
    The Pride of Jesse Hallam
    The Dual
    The Dual
    Seraphim Falls
    6.6
    Seraphim Falls
    Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying
    4.3
    Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying
    Showdown
    5.9
    Showdown

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Woody Harrelson scrimmaged with a local high school girls' soccer team on two Saturday mornings and one Sunday afternoon while staying in Greenwood during filming.
    • Goofs
      This is described as taking place in 1866 - two years after the War Between the States. The weapons used are anachronistic. The first Winchesters were made in 1866 and certainly not enough to have populated the 'West' so rapidly as to be the dominate arm in the movie. And the Springfield trapdoor shown in the movies wasn't around until 1873.

      However, only the opening scene is set in 1866. The rest of the movie is set 22 years later in 1888. By then these weapons would have been available and commonplace.
    • Quotes

      Abraham: [in a foreign language] You were sent here for me. I will not let you go.

      David Kingston: What does that mean?

      Abraham: "I'll embrace your company while I have it."

    • Soundtracks
      Miserere Mei Deus
      Written by Gregorio Allegri

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ19

    • How long is The Duel?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 24, 2016 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • German facebook site
      • Official site (Japan)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • By Way of Helena
    • Filming locations
      • Greenwood, Mississippi, USA(end titles)
    • Production companies
      • Lionsgate Premiere
      • Atomic Entertainment (II)
      • Mandeville Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $10,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $20,672
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 50 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Woody Harrelson and Liam Hemsworth in The Duel (2016)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Duel (2016) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.