The Duelist
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: December 2, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
55
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
3
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Screen DailyWendy IdeNov 28, 2016
Despite some pacing issues and a slightly repetitive second act, this is a polished production which establishes writer/director Aleksei Mizgirev as a talent to watch Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireDec 2, 2016
With The Duelist, Rodnyansky is taking a more commercial turn, one that depends less on art-house refinements than on plush production values, action-movie tropes and a couple of stellar lead performances. Read full review
70
Village VoiceSimon AbramsDec 1, 2016
What's most arresting is the way Mizgirev's vision of 1860s Russia shines through in the perspiration on Champagne goblets, the flicker of candlelight on faces, and the sheen of polished-steel dueling pistols. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinDec 1, 2016
The sumptuously shot, costumed, designed and scored Russian import The Duelist dazzles and provokes as it makes little real sense beyond the confines of its hermetic milieu. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerTirdad DerakhshaniDec 1, 2016
The film is too formulaic and far too prone to melodrama, with outsize emotions as ridiculous as its comic-book villains. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyNov 29, 2016
The premise of intrigue and revenge in a high-society Tsarist underworld is irresistible and pulpy, but Mizgirev’s script is an indigestible, soap-operatic mess of backstories, clichés, and the kind of ambiguous mystic overtones that have become an unbreakable addiction for Russian film. Read full review
50
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzDec 1, 2016
It’s so ridiculously overstuffed it’s kind of fun. That extends to, or perhaps begins with, the look of the film. It’s rich, overripe, yet still kind of seedy. Read full review
40
We Got This CoveredBrogan Morris Dec 4, 2016
The Duelist isn’t deep enough for the viewer to attempt to draw meaning from beneath its glam surface, but it’s still interesting to watch the film as a look at where Russia is at as a nation. Read full review
37
Washington PostStephanie MerryDec 1, 2016
The Duelist will leave viewers scratching their heads over any number of questions, but the most gnawing one might be: Why did everyone get so dressed up for a bloodbath? Read full review
30
The New York TimesGlenn KennyDec 1, 2016
The clichéd story line pursues turgidity with a relentless determination. Read full review
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