Steven Spielberg: EVERY Movie Ranked Worst To Best

12. Duel (1971)

Spielberg's first movie (aside from the mostly lost Firelight), Duel is an absolute masterclass of minimalist filmmaking.

Based on a short story by author Richard Matheson, who also wrote the screenplay, Duel follows David Mann (Dennis Weaver), a man driving to work who finds himself chased and terrorised by the unseen driver of a dilapidated lorry.

Though simple and lacking any major theme, the film manages to hold itself together over its short runtime by offering up some heart-quickening action sequences.

Even after all this time, Duel is still a cult classic that holds up on every conceivable level.