Ridley Scott’s ‘The Last Duel’ Drops First Trailer, Matt Damon’s Platinum Mullet Proves Too Distracting (Oh, And Ben Affleck Too)

Matt Damon’s out here looking like a platinum Theo Von in 20th Century Studios’ first trailer for The Last Duel. Following in the footsteps of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven, this latest historical drama goes Game of Thrones via trial by combat in 14th-century France. Check it out below: 

Dear Maximus Decimus Meridius, we are entertained. Not only does The Last Duel make a solid argument for the retrovation of duels (definitely could solve a lot of problems…) but the allure of a store-bought dye job. Allow us to take a moment to address Jason Bourne’s platinum mullet, and another to bask in Batman’s even more platinum, well, everything. 

In case you were distracted by all that platinum, here’s a quick recap:

In The Last Duel, Damon plays the Norm knight Jean de Carrouges, who accuses his squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) of raping his wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer). Letting the Gods decide their fates, Carrouges challenges Le Gris to the last sanctioned duel in France’s history; if Carrouges loses Marguerite will be burned at the stake as punishment for her false accusation. Affleck plays Count Pierre d’Alencon, the dickhead presiding over all of this. 

If its epic ensemble wasn’t enough, The Last Duel marks Affleck and Damon’s first onscreen appearance together since Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back (2001) and first writing collaboration—alongside Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said)—since Good Will Hunting. To properly explore the film’s ideas, Affleck and Damon wrote the male perspective and Holofcener wrote the female. 

You may have noticed that no one is speaking French or even sporting the proper accents. As is the case with most of Ridley’s “historical” work, fiction beats fact. Does that tarnish the integrity of the piece? No. Does it add a few unnecessary sentences to this article? Yes? Who will win the duel and will justice be served through victory/defeat? The guilt and innocence of the real-life participants have been a source of great debate among historians. If done right, The Last Duel can really deconstruct the nature of both false allegations and victim blaming. 

We’ll find out if it can walk that tightrope in theaters on October 15th. 

Cover Photo: 20th Century Studios

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