History Film / Duplex

* MostWritersAreWriters: Alex is a writer. The horrors he suffers not only provide him a hefty amount of writer's block, but when he actually manages to power through Mrs. Connelly's constant pestering to finish his book, Mrs. Connelly accidentally tosses his laptop to the street where it gets run over by a truck, and he is unable to even try to get it fixed before his deadline, which gets him fired by his publisher.

* TheCon: The endless misery Mrs. Connelly has driven the couple through is a real estate scam, and her son Kenneth (the man who sold the titular duplex to the couple) and RabidCop Officer Dan (who turns out to be not only a DirtyCop, but ''Kenneth's gay lover'') are in on it.

Since they can't get rid of the sweet old lady because of [[FriendsRentControl rent control]], Alex and Nancy try to coerce her out of the apartment, eventually turning to less friendly methods... and getting clumsier and clumsier the more they escalate.

* MassiveMultiplayerScam: The endless misery Mrs. Connelly has driven the couple through is a [[TheCon real estate scam]], and her son Kenneth (the man who sold the titular duplex to the couple) and RabidCop Officer Dan (who turns out to be not only a DirtyCop, but ''Kenneth's gay lover'') are in on it.

* CringeComedy: From the moment they get into the house, it's a barrage of misery so unending that they quite willingly decide to hire a hit-man to kill Mrs. Connely, [[GodzillaThreshold because as long as she's alive and being a center point of said misery, it just doesn't looks like any options can really make it any worse.]]

* TheReveal: [[spoiler:Mrs. Connelly is discovered to be both alive and in fact she is the mother of Kenneth, the Duplex real estate agent, and in fact it's a RealEstateScam to make them sell the house cheaper then they bought it]].

* TechnologyMarchesOn: Alex had the only copy of his novel on his laptop, meaning when it's destroyed, he has no backup. After the advent of cloud storage solutions, he could have had a copy available anywhere with Internet access, and the lack of a backup wouldn't have been an issue.

* CringeComedy: From the moment they get into the house, it's a barrage of misery so unending that they quite willingly decide to hire a hit-man to kill Mrs. Connely, [[GodzillaThreashold because as long as she's alive and being a center point of said misery, it just doesn't looks like any options can really make it any worse.]]

%% * BitchInSheepsClothing: Mrs. Connely.
%% * ButtMonkey: Alex. Well, he IS played by Creator/BenStiller.

%% * CringeComedy: Happens often in the first half of the movie, and a bit later as well.
%% * HarmlessElectrocution: Barrymore's character, Nancy.

%% * MostWritersAreWriters: Alex is a writer.

%% * {{Oireland}}: Mrs Connelly complete with bad Irish accent and yes, there are stereotypes which'll make Irish people vomit.

%% * ProfessionalKiller: Chick the hitman, who has a legitimate job as a pornographer.

It features a young couple, Alex (Stiller) and Nancy (Barrymore), who move into a brownstone duplex in Brooklyn, where an [[CoolOldLady elderly tenant]] named Mrs. Connelly (Eileen Essell) is giving them hell. She sends both of them on a myriad of errands, keeps them up all night (every night), gets them fired from their jobs, and lowers the value of the property with each passing day.

''Duplex'' is a 2003 comedy film directed by Creator/DannyDeVito, starring Creator/BenStiller and Creator/DrewBarrymore.

Duplex is a 2003 Comedy Film staring Creator/BenStiller and Creator/DrewBarrymore, and Directed by Creator/{{Danny DeVito}}.

It features a young couple who move in to a Duplex in Brooklyn, where an old [[CoolOldLady tenant]] is giving them hell. The tenant sends both of the couple on a myriad of errands, keeps them up all night (every night), gets them fired from their jobs, and lowers the value of the property with each passing day.

Since they can't get rid of the sweet old lady because of [[FriendsRentControl Rent Control]], they try to coerce her out of the apartment, eventually turning to less friendly methods... and getting clumsier and clumsier the more they escalate.

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Mrs. Connely.
* BadCopIncompetentCop: You start with Officer Dan who you think is just a [[PoliceBrutality unnecessarily violent]] JerkAss, but later you find it out it's [[spoiler: [[DirtyCop intentional]] to scare Alex and Nancy into leaving.]]
* ButtMonkey: Alex. Well, he IS played by Creator/BenStiller.

* CringeComedy: Happens often in the first half of the movie, and a bit later as well.
* HarmlessElectrocution: Barrymore's character, Nancy.

* MostWritersAreWriters: Alex is a writer.
** OneHourWorkWeek: Averted. Alex tries to work all the time, but he is interrupted by Mrs. Connelly.
* {{Narrator}}: Creator/{{Danny DeVito}}, who also directed the movie, is narrating it.
* {{Oireland}}: Mrs Connelly complete with bad Irish accent and yes, there are stereotypes which'll make Irish people vomit.
* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Mrs Connelly has the worst Irish accent since Creator/BradPitt. The worst part is we have to listen to it throughout the whole movie!
* ProfessionalKiller: Chick the hitman, who has a legitimate job as a [[StockSuperheroDayJobs pornographer]].
* SpiritualSuccessor: Often said to be so to Danny [=DeVito's=] own ''Film/ThrowMommaFromTheTrain''.
* TheReveal: [[spoiler: Mrs. Connelly is discovered to be both alive and in fact she is the mother of Kenneth, the Duplex real estate agent, and in fact it's a RealEstateScam to make them sell the house cheaper then they bought it.]]

* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Mrs Connelly has the worst Irish accent since Brad Pitt. The worst part is we have to listen to it throughout the whole movie!

It features a young couple who move in to a Duplex in Brooklyn, where an old [[CoolOldLady tenant]] is giving them hell.
The tenant sends both of the couple on a myriad of errands, keeps them up all night (every night), gets them fired from their jobs, and lowers the value of the property with each passing day.

* ButtMonkey: Alex. Well, his IS played by Creator/BenStiller.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Often said to be so to Danny DeVito's own ''Film/ThrowMommaFromTheTrain''.

This film provides examples of:

* IShouldWriteABookAboutThis: The main character is trying and failing to write a book throughout the movie, mostly due to his upstairs tenant. The end of the movie shows his published novel, also titled {{Duplex}}, presumably about the events he experienced during the movie.

Duplex is a 2003 Comedy Film staring Creator/BenStiller and Creator/DrewBarrymore, and Directed by {{Danny DeVito}}.

* {{Narrator}}: {{Danny DeVito}}, who also directed the movie, is narrating it.

Duplex is a 2003 Comedy Film staring BenStiller and Creator/DrewBarrymore, and Directed by {{Danny DeVito}}.

* TheReveal: [[spoiler: Mrs. Connelly is discovered to be both alive and in fact she is the mother of Kenneth, the Duplex real estate agent, and in fact it's a RealEstateScam to make them sell the house cheaper then they bought it.]]

Duplex is a 2003 Comedy Film staring BenStiller and DrewBarrymore, and Directed by {{Danny DeVito}}.