A movie set in the middle ages directed by Ridley Scott? That could work. Although the movie did poorly at the box office, it is actually quite masterful. The screenplay, adapted from a novel by Eric Jager, was written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck who are, don’t forget, Oscar winning screenwriters for Good Will Hunting. I think they – together with Nicole Holofcener – did an outstanding job. The Rashomon-like approach to the true story of a knight and a squire who battle over the love for a woman runs like clockwork. I am going to challenge Variety and say that the screenplay will be nominated for an Academy Award. It goes without saying that Scott is the right man to direct this type of film. He gets excellent performances out of his cast: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer and Ben Affleck are all superb. So are the sets, costumes and cinematography. This movie deserves to do a lot better on Disney than it did in cinema’s. I agree with critics who said it’s Scott’s finest film since Gladiator. If Gladiator 2 doesn’t happen, this would be a great end for the career of the 84 year old maestro.

The Last Duel is now available on Disney Plus

The verdict: to stream or not to stream? To stream