Duel (1971)
A businessman's desert drive becomes a relentless, gritty game of cat and mouse with a menacing tanker truck.
Traveling businessman David Mann angers the driver of a rusty tanker while crossing the California desert. A simple trip turns deadly, as Mann struggles to stay on the road while the tanker plays cat and mouse with his life.
How intense is Duel?
Duel is mildly scary, with no gore and strong violence. Emotionally it is heavy. The pace is relentless, and it is a full-attention watch. Rated PG.
What Duel feels like
- Tone
- suspensefultensegrittypulpy
- Pace
- Relentless
- Best for
- Full attention
Where to stream Duel
Not on a US subscription service at our last check. Rent or buy may still be an option.
US availability via TMDB, last checked Sep 15, 2026. The app filters picks to the services you actually have.
Is Duel for you?
Is Duel scary?
Only a little. Duel has a few tense moments (scare level 1 of 3), nothing that follows you to bed.
Is Duel gory or violent?
No gore (0 of 3) and strong violence (2 of 3).
Is Duel sad or heavy?
It is emotionally heavy (2 of 3). Expect it to land.
Is Duel OK for kids?
It is rated PG, but the intensity tags run warmer than the rating suggests: scare 1, gore 0, violence 2, each out of 3. Know your kid.
How long is Duel?
Duel runs 1h 14m.
Where can I stream Duel?
Duel is not on a US subscription service right now (rent or buy may still be an option).
Does Duel have a happy ending? spoiler-safe answer
There is a twist, and that is all we are saying.
Cast and crew
More like Duel
Matched on genre, tone, intensity and pace, not just keywords.
Die Hard (1988)Mildly scary · light gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA lone, off-duty cop battles relentless terrorists in a gritty, suspenseful high-rise siege.
The Dark Knight (2008)Mildly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavyA relentless, gritty crime thriller where a hero's war on chaos takes a darkly comic and epic turn.
The Terminator (1984)Mildly scary · light gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA relentless cyborg assassin hunts a woman across 1980s Los Angeles, sparking a gritty fight for the future.
Taken (2008)Mildly scary · light gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA former operative unleashes relentless, high-octane fury to rescue his daughter from human traffickers.
John Wick (2014)Graphic gore · brutal violence · relentlessA retired hitman unleashes relentless, high-octane fury on the gangsters who stole his last hope.
The Warriors (1979)Mildly scary · light gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA Coney Island gang fights for survival on a gritty, relentless journey through a hostile city.
Nobody (2021)Mildly scary · graphic gore · brutal violence · relentlessA suburban dad's suppressed rage ignites, propelling him on a brutal, high-octane path to uncover dark secrets.
Extraction (2020)Mildly scary · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA hardened gun-for-hire faces a relentless, gritty fight for survival while rescuing a kidnapped son.
Find Duel in
Want five more like Duel?
Tell CouchRot the mood. It picks from what you can actually stream and learns from every rating.
Get CouchRot, it's freeThis product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Intensity, tone and pace tags are CouchRot's own.