Desperation Road
Strong performances elevate characters bound together by fate in this wrong place wrong time thriller.
On the nose: Garrett Hedlund
Image courtesy of Signature Entertainment
Russell Gaines (Garrett Hedlund) is attempting to rebuild his life when the abrupt arrival of a desperate woman sends him back into the chaos of his past. Most of us don’t really know the meaning of the word desperation, let alone what we may be capable of when faced with unfathomable circumstances. The first 15 minutes of Desperation Road presents a young mother named Maben (Willa Fitzgerald) who is forced to take action against a sudden sea of troubles. Occurring before the title card even appears, it’s an opening that could stand on its own as a devastating short film. The effective setup takes us wholly into Maben’s life and plight, but what follows is something of a let-down.
In spite of a screenplay penned by Michael Farris Smith (the author of the source material), the story unfortunately doesn’t quite coalesce onscreen after that sequence. In part because this is primarily a plot of convenience where characters continually find themselves at the exact right–and wrong–places in order to propel the story. When a most improbable reveal arrives halfway through the film, it really fails to convince. It’s also unfortunate that Maben essentially remains a victim throughout, relying on Russell to save her from her circumstances. Willa Fitzgerald infuses Maben with every possible ounce of resilience and determination, but the material itself does a disservice to the character by making her so reliant on the men around her. As Gaines’ father Mitchell, Mel Gibson doesn’t have much to do, but he certainly adds gravitas to every scene.
First introduced to audiences sparring opposite Brad Pitt in Troy, Garrett Hedlund has carved out a strong career over the years, starring in such films as Friday Night Lights, Country Strong, Tron: Legacy, On the Road, Inside Llewyn Davis, Mudbound, and Burden. He’s a vastly underrated actor who consistently delivers a strong performance and it’s his work here, along with Fitzgerald and Gibson, that turns an otherwise standard thriller into a film that’s worth the ride. Hedlund once shied away from the record deals offered to him after Country Strong, but his work as a singer-songwriter has continued to appear on the soundtracks of his films. He finally faced the music last year, releasing his first single. That’s him singing the title track ‘Desperation Road’ over the end credits.
CHAD KENNERK
Cast: Garrett Hedlund, Willa Fitzgerald, Ryan Hurst, Mel Gibson, Woody McClain, Pyper Braun, Bonita Elery, Paulina Gálvez, Kat Foster, Ella Thomas.
Dir Nadine Crocker, Pro Cassian Elwes, Nadine Crocker, Michael Farris Smith and Paul Robarts, Screenplay Michael Farris Smith, from his novel, Ph Sy Turnbull, Pro Des Mollie Wartelle, Ed Jing Han, Music Haim Mazar, Costumes Nina Chermak Rosenberg.
Grindstone Entertainment Group/Capstone Global/Gramercy Park Media/Balcony 9 Productions-Signature Entertainment (UK)/Lionsgate (US).
111 mins. USA. 2023. US Rel: 6 October 2023. UK Rel: 9 October 2023. Cert. 18.
