The Last Duel – Misogynistic Gladiators

Ridley Scott's  The Last Duel depicts the final trial by combat in 14th Century France. The titular duel involved Knight Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Squire Jacques le Gris (Adam Driver), battling over le Gris' alleged rape of Carrouges' wife Marguerite (Jodie Comer).

Yes, folks, this is a heavy movie, but it is also a very good one. The sets, the costumes, the acting—which includes a wonderfully sleezy performance from Ben Affleck as Count Pierre d'Alençon—and the action are all top notch. This is Scott at the top of his historical storytelling game.

Sadly, though, The Last Duel flopped. Hard. As in, it lie dying as an angry Matt Damon yelled at it to CONFESS.

On a budget of $100 million, it grossed a puny $30.6 million. With stellar reviews (85% on Rotten Tomatoes with 283 of them) and awards buzz, The Last Duel deserved far better.

This isn't only interesting history, it's important history. And its principle story is shockingly relevant to today. Thus, we highly recommend that you see it.

So, sit back, impale a 1985 Voodoo Ranger IPA from New Belgium Brewing with your lance, and never trust the nefarious Jacques le Gris! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK) and Capt. Cash are clanging swords to the delight of "Mad" King Charles VI.

This Week’s Segments:

• Introduction/Plot Breakdown – The true story of a woman who defied a nation and made history. (00:00)
• Lingering Questions – The Double Turn Podcast borrows Drew McIntyre's sword to partake in the melee, and then we discuss why this may have flopped. (40:42)
• Recommendations – After a word from our brothers in beer at Hop Nation USA, we offer our picks for the week and next up: We finish "Hops and Period Piece Flops" with an ode to the finest fiddler in all of Texas and his amazing adventures, The Alamo! (52:44)

And, as always, hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids—the true history of the duel and more—from this week’s episode!

You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Acast, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Vurbl, and Amazon Music!