[Fantasia ’25] ‘The School Duel’: Fighting the unseen enemy

The School Duel is a screening from Fantasia that tackles one of the country’s biggest problems. Sometime in the near future, Florida has outlawed all gun control and school shootings have increased. Sam Miller (Kue Lawrence) is a 13 year old who is bullied at school and turns to influencers and guns for comfort. When he is given the opportunity to enter a dangerous government sponsored game, he jumps at it to show everyone what he can do.

The writing does a great job of leading up to the match. The focus is almost entirely on Sam and the troubled life he lives. Things seem to be fine at home – his mother clearly loves him – but the teenager has no substance. Sam’s existence consists of being treated poorly at school, then coming home and throwing himself into a fantasy world where influencers and guns are the most important things. For anyone with a teenager in their life, this characterization will be painfully close to home. 

The School Duel paints a bleak picture that does not seem outside the bounds of reality. It is not that Sam is a bad kid; it is the lack of support system that has caused him to lash out. Along with the problems he is having with his classmates, even school officials do not seem to think much of him. It is a world where even the “best” children are little more than a number and statistic.

Much like the first part of The School Duel went all in on character development, the final act is all about the competition. The camera work takes on more of a video gamey look and Sam becomes just a player in a deadly game. Seeing Sam transform may be the most depressing part. All the shooting and killing puts him in his element. He is excited and happy, but he is nothing more than a tool.

Ironically, what should be the most thrilling part of the film is also the most lackluster. The strong messaging from the earlier parts of The School Duel stop working. There are attempts at deep storytelling, but they come off flat. The plot runs out of steam and a couple of reveals end up being repeated with different characters. The ending ends up being a strange bait and switch. Thankfully, none of this takes away from the powerful message.