Summary

Desperation Road, directed by Nadine Crocker, explores guilt, shame, and revenge in the Deep South through the story of a struggling single mother and a man recently released from prison. While the screenplay by the author of the source material and the talented cast are commendable, the movie falls short of capturing the depth and evocative nature of Michael Farris Smith’s novel. The performances, particularly Willa Fitzgerald as the weary Maben and her bond with her daughter, provide an engrossing and heartfelt aspect to the film, though some plot elements feel muddled and characters lack development.

The Deep South simmers with guilt, shame, and revenge in Desperation Road, which is directed by Nadine Crocker. The movie follows a single mother named Maben (Willa Fitzgerald, fresh off her powerful turn in The Fall of the House of Usher) who is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her young daughter Annalee (Pyper Braun). A seemingly unconnected thread begins with Russell (Garrett Hedlund, Mudbound), whose prison sentence doesn’t seem like enough punishment for his crime. The two are thrown together in an unexpectedly violent way, opening the door for a redemption neither thought possible.

Despite a screenplay penned by the author of its source material and Desperation Road’s stellar cast, the movie never quite reaches the heights of Michael Farris Smith’s novel. Farris is known for his masterful prose and evocative depictions of the down-and-out places and people he writes about, but neither translates particularly well to the screen in this case. Perhaps that stems from the necessarily short filming time — the movie was shot in a mere 16 days, after all — but it still prevents full immersion into the story. The performances are its saving grace, however, which is likely due to Crocker’s own experience as an actor allowing her a shorthand with characterization that isn’t necessarily present in the script.

Fitzgerald certainly deserves a standing ovation for her work in bringing Maben to life, as her world-weary eyes spoke volumes about her backstory and origins. We meet her when she’s nearing rock bottom, about to engage in some sex work outside the motel where her daughter is sleeping to earn enough, but things quickly get worse for her from there. There is an unnecessarily graphic sexual assault that takes place before she’s even gotten the chance to establish her character beyond desperate mother, but her reaction (and how it shapes her choices from then on) is engrossing from both a character and actor standpoint.

The familial chemistry she creates with young Annalee is the beating heart of what makes Desperation Road work, and their love for each other is pure enough to melt even the hardest of hearts. Maben wants nothing more than to give her daughter the life and peace of mind she has been denied, and I, for one, am willing to let her do anything to achieve her goal. Enter Hedlund’s Russell, who seems to agree, and becomes the vehicle through which she and Analee can escape the clutches of the crooked law. Their interactions are carried almost entirely by the actors themselves, with no extra push from cinematography and music, but they still create an accidentally lovely family unit.

Russell’s half of Desperation Road relies on understanding the guilt he feels for the drunk driving incident that resulted in the death of a young boy, as well as how that death has destroyed the life of the boy’s father Larry (Ryan Hurst). But this section of the story feels muddled at times, and Larry’s behavior from the start is so unhinged that it’s hard to imagine the life he had to ruin in the first place. Rather than serving as a complex and layered character whose pain is as understandable as Russell or Maben’s, he feels like more of a one-note antagonist they must defeat to reach their happy ending.

Overall, the biggest issue is the plot doesn’t come together quite like it should. When Maben shoots the rapist cop (played with shuddering accuracy by Shiloh Fernandez), for example, there is the possibility for interesting commentary on the justice system oppressing those it is meant to protect. But it is balanced out instead by the kind-hearted cop Boyd (a highly likable Woody McClain), who sometimes acts outside the law for good reason, and whose friendship with Russell is never explained but always welcome. Other characters appear from time to time, such as Mel Gibson and Paulina Gálvez, but don’t add materially to the emotional weight of the narrative. Desperation Road glimmers with moments of beautiful clarity, but the big picture it paints doesn’t live up to the promise of its individual strokes.

Desperation Road is now out on digital and VOD platforms. It has a runtime of 112 minutes and is rated R for some violence, sexual assault, language throughout, brief sexuality, and nudity.