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The School Duel

Play trailer 1:44 Poster for The School Duel 1h 31m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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85% Tomatometer 13 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Verified Ratings
In a near-future Florida where gun control has been abolished, the state's ambitious governor (Oscar Nuñez, The Office) introduces a chilling solution to school shootings: a state-wide, televised fight-to-the-death competition known as "The School Duel." Sammy, a troubled 13-year-old, secretly enlists against his mother's wishes -- seduced by promises of purpose, patriotism, and notoriety. But as the deadly spectacle unfolds, that dream begins to crumble. The debut feature from director Todd Wiseman Jr., The School Duel is a provocative dystopian thriller about fear, manipulation, and one of the most brazenly political genre films in recent memory.

Cast & Crew

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Todd Wiseman Jr

Director

Kue Lawrence

Actor

Christina Brucato

Actor

Oscar Nunez

Actor

Clayton Royal Johnson

Actor

Eugenie Bondurant

Actor

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Critics Reviews

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Christian Toto HollywoodInToto.com Oct 5
2/4
Anti-conservative screed ignores harsh truths behind modern progressives. Go to Full Review Anthony O'Connor FILMINK (Australia) Sep 19
17/20
… extremely stylish and compelling … Go to Full Review Timothy Lee Geeks of Color Aug 22
1/10
The main problem with this approach is that instead of creating an immersive and believable dystopian America fueled by fascist ideology and violence, we instead have a world that feels like it’s ripped straight out of a terrible YA novel or fanfiction. Go to Full Review Sara Clements Next Best Picture Aug 8
8/10
“The School Duel” is, at its core, a savage satire about a society so obsessed with its right to bear arms that it sacrifices its own children on the altar of nationalism. Go to Full Review Alise Chaffins Movies We Texted About Aug 4
4/5
In Todd Wiseman Jr.’s The School Duel, he takes the problem of school shootings and imagines something only slightly more dystopian than what is already happening in America. Go to Full Review Jennie Kermode Eye for Film Aug 4
4.5/5
Wiseman Jr plays most of it very straight, without sentiment, easing viewers into a place where they can take all this for granted. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
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The School Duel

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The School Duel

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Movie Info

Synopsis In a near-future Florida where gun control has been abolished, the state's ambitious governor (Oscar Nuñez, The Office) introduces a chilling solution to school shootings: a state-wide, televised fight-to-the-death competition known as "The School Duel." Sammy, a troubled 13-year-old, secretly enlists against his mother's wishes -- seduced by promises of purpose, patriotism, and notoriety. But as the deadly spectacle unfolds, that dream begins to crumble. The debut feature from director Todd Wiseman Jr., The School Duel is a provocative dystopian thriller about fear, manipulation, and one of the most brazenly political genre films in recent memory.
Director
Todd Wiseman Jr
Producer
Christa Boarini, Todd Wiseman Jr, Bryan Gaynor, Bobby Marinelli
Screenwriter
Todd Wiseman Jr
Distributor
Altered Innocence
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 24, 2026, Limited
Runtime
1h 31m