“Everyone comes into this industry with a thought process like, ‘Man, I’d love to make movies with my friends,’” says Dylan Sprouse. “I’ve gotten to a point now, in my career, where that’s possible.” He’s clear and confident over the phone. Yet there’s a tinge of awe in his voice, too, like he’s still adjusting to his new role. At 32, Sprouse has just made his debut as executive producer with The Duel, a satirical drama-comedy in which he stars opposite Australian actor Callan McAuliffe. Sprouse says he wants to make more movies like this one, but he’s quick to add: “I don’t think I could see myself doing it without this group.”

Friendship colours my conversation with Sprouse, whether we’re talking about the film’s characters or his creative process. He counts Justin Matthews and Luke Spencer Roberts, writers and directors of The Duel, among his close friends. “They’re immensely talented, thoughtful people,” he says. “We’re all very, very true to who we are, and that’s part of why this movie is so pretty. Everyone is moving in unison to this, like, unabashed, unafraid, true version of themselves that is so important to the narrative, [to] who these characters are.”

Let’s back up a minute. Who are these characters? If your knowledge of The Duel begins and ends with the title, you’ll be delighted to learn that yes: it is a movie about a duel. The film begins just after Colin (Dylan Sprouse) betrays Woody (Callan McAuliffe), causing the young men — along with their respective allies, Sam (Denny Love) and Kevin (Hart Denton) — to become a friend group fractured, split down the middle and thrown into disarray. Ostensibly looking to move on, Woody proposes a duel. Colin, despite Sam’s protests, accepts.

Under this premise, we meet Patrick Warburton as Christof, an eccentric shopkeeper who oversees the duel. He flits between humorous, deranged, and profound as he holds Colin, Woody, Kevin, and Sam to an archaic set of rules for duelling. To escape the prying eyes of criminal law enforcement, Christof insists that the duel take place in secret; this brings the gang to a sprawling, Gilded Age style estate owned by an (alleged) drug lord of equal eccentricity, Rudolpho (Ronald Guttman).

“The four main boys are the most actual, real human beings inside of this movie,” says Sprouse. “Callan McAuliffe, who plays Woody in the movie, is so much like Woody,” he adds with a laugh. “When we were going out and talking about who we’d like to play Woody, we were like: ‘This is obvious, right? Like, he’s our guy.’”

Sprouse sees a lot of himself in Woody, too, though he also finds common ground with Colin. “Despite being laid back, I think that [Colin’s] narrative is really about people rising to the occasion,” Sprouse says. Colin is chill to a fault, verging on blasé. Those around him tend to underestimate his emotional depth, Sprouse adds. “He’s just incredibly frustrated by people thinking that’s all he amounts to. And that’s something that I can [identify] with, and I’ve experienced myself.”

“If people expect nothing of you, nothing will come,” Sprouse continues. “You have to make meaning for yourself.” On screen, this idea becomes a comedic blend of bravado and angst, punctuated by lucid moments of vulnerability. The Duel is as earnest as it is satirical, engaging the audience and rewarding them with laughs. There’s a tangible determination throughout — everybody involved wants to succeed.

Though it was his first time executive producing, Sprouse says behind-the-scenes camaraderie helped him ease into the role. “I’ve been wearing a very different hat than I’m used to. But honestly, Luke and Justin were first time writer-directors too, so we were all kind of learning together,” he explains. As he describes the kinship on-set, it’s easy to draw parallels between the cast and the group of guys they play.

That said, this was no rookie cast. Patrick Warburton — whose resume includes everything from Get Smart to Seinfeld — provides a welcome contrast to his younger co-stars. Zany antics aside, Sprouse describes Christof as an advisor to the core four: “Patrick Warburton’s character exists to make sure that they have rules to what they’re doing, and that’s the fun part, right? When they get too angry, or when they’re fighting it out, he’s there to say, “‘Hey, I think this is ridiculous. I think you’re out of line. Make sure you keep this in check.’”

Though he wins a few points for this, Christof is hardly a voice of reason — he’s delighted by the deadly prospect, enforcing bizarre conducts and customs with mounting fervour as the film rolls on. A playful performance from Warburton accentuates the film’s quirks, bringing dark humour to life.

Filled with self-aware absurdity, The Duel walks a fine line between satire and sincerity. While the characters never downplay the stakes, they poke fun at their circumstances. “Comedy is always going to be a part of me, because that’s what I think I’m most comfortable with,” says Sprouse. He’s in on the joke: viewers aren’t just allowed to laugh at the ludicrous situation — they’re encouraged to.

Yet Sprouse believes that humour can have depth, too. “So many men are action people, right? They want to say ‘I love you’ by buying lunch instead of saying ‘I love you’ with their words. This entire movie speaks to love in a way; [it’s saying] ‘if you really do love me, are you going to kill me?’” Sprouse says, adding with a laugh: “It’s a crazy dilemma to have!”

And, while The Duel takes ‘high stakes’ to an extreme, its core conflicts — painful friendship breakups, muddled emotions, feeling ‘cosmically insignificant’ — resonate off-camera. “This movie’s personal for me, for a lot of different reasons, but that’s why I’m very proud of it,” says Sprouse. “I feel kind of vulnerable in its release, but I think that’s why people will respond to it.”

After showing at a smattering of independent film festivals (and winning awards, too), The Duel has garnered more than a few reactions. Sprouse laughs as he recalls the initial screenings. “Some people were like: ‘This is a perfect movie to describe how ridiculous and dumb men are.’ Then, another review would come in and be like: ‘This is a perfect example of how great men are, in that they rise to the occasion without needing to speak.’”

Of course, The Duel knows when its characters are acting ridiculous or dumb — their pettiness and bravado mask deeper feelings. These qualities help the film make its point, Sprouse explains: “Anger and love go hand in hand, especially in this movie,” says the actor. “Luke, Justin, and I talked about wanting to have a scene that spoke to male love — what that is and what that looks like.” The scene came about naturally; when Sam accuses Colin of ‘ruining the friend group’ over a temporary romance, he suggests that friendship — platonic love — can be just as significant as its romantic counterpart.

“[It’s rare for] male friend groups to say ‘I love you’ to each other — the kind of heartfelt, ‘Hey, I really love you,’” Sprouse adds. “I know so many guys who would say: ‘Dude, if we went to war, I’m next to you.’ But the truth is, like, when you have to be forced into [doing] that, can you rise to it and do it? That’s the crux of what The Duel is, and why it’s so fucking fun to watch.”

Post-release, Sprouse says that audience reviews — whether they’re appreciative or annoyed, positive or negative — are thrilling. For him, filmmaking is about connection. “This movie has an impact on people who watch it, whether it’s for good or for bad, right? And that makes me really happy. They watch it, and they come away with some opinion about what they watched. I think it’s becoming increasingly common for people to walk out of movies opinionless, and I think this movie begs for an opinion from its audience.”

Though, in a sense, The Duel was a success before anyone else watched it. For Sprouse, it was a celebration of friendship. The cast includes longtime pals Hart Denton and Callan McAuliffe — both of whom Sprouse says he’s “known and loved” for years — and new friends like Denny Love. (“[Love] is just, like, the most electric human being,” Sprouse gushes.) Each time his castmates come up, he’s got nothing but good words to say.

His passion — for The Duel, for friendship, for fans — is no surprise. As Sprouse put it himself, “What I really love to do is work with people I love.”

The Duel is now available on Amazon Video.