Ranking: 40
Year of release: 1971
The car: Plymouth Valiant.
Why it’s special: It’s a psychological car chase.
Best bit: When the Plymouth starts to overheat and the truck comes slowly into focus in the background
Pub fact: Duel was originally shown as a 74-minute-long TV movie, but director Steven Spielberg added 16 more minutes to make it film-length. These extra minutes included the railway crossing and school bus scenes plus lead role David Mann’s phone call to his wife..
Plot overview: David Mann is a salesman travelling across California. When he passes a truck driver, the driver takes offence for some reason and pursues him relentlessly across the State.
For: Tension, making a truck seem like a convincing serial killer, Mann’s descent into madness
Against: It’s a rubbish car
CAR verdict: Original, gripping, brilliant
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