Duel

1971 • 89 minutes

About this movie

Steven Spielberg directs Duel, a high-velocity thriller about a motorist terrorized by an evil truck. As Spielberg's first full-length movie, Duel helped jumpstart the director's big-screen career, with a gripping, action-packed story hailed by critics as a film that "belongs on the classics shelf reserved for top suspensers" (Dailey Variety). Dennis Weaver stars as the traveling salesman waging a desperate battle for survival after he is mysteriously singled out. Praised for its deft use of relentlessly mounting psychological tension, Duel features one of the most uniquely terrifying "characters" in movie history: a massive, roaring, 40-ton truck with sheer menace. (Original Title - Duel) - 1971 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Ratings and reviews

I saw this on television when it came out in 1971. It was an ABC Television movie. I begged my Mom if I could see it and she let me. I never regretted watching it - all these years later it's still in my top 10 of movies I've seen. Dennnis Weaver is awesome as the traveling salesman; the Peterbuilt truck that plays the "villain" haunted me for days after I saw this (I was only 9 when I watched it). To think this was Steven Spielberg's first directing job! One hell of a debut for him. Top shelf.

Very much worth the watch. The movie builds up with a slow opening giving us long shots of the desert environment before getting us to Dennis Weaver's character, David Mann, a salesman who was at first trying to get to a meeting before being put into a dangerous situation against one of the most dangerous villains to touch the screen; a massive trailer truck bent on putting Mann in danger and more than likely killing him in the process. Steven Spielberg knew what he was doing when he wanted the audience to feel fear and he did a amazing job.

I'm a fairly newbie trucker myself and love these old classic truck related films from the 70's and 80's I watched growing up. This one, Convoy, and Smokey and the Bandit were the best! Hard to believe such a simple, yet thrilling film kicked off Spielberg's career, and he shot the whole thing in under 2 weeks! Never gets old, the suspense and real feeling the film has are perfect. Although it wouldn't work if it was released in 2019 since everyone has a cellphone and nobody would relate to it!