Desperation Road

R

Released Oct 6, 2023

1h 52m

Action

Mystery & Thriller

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List

60%

Tomatometer

15 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

In a small Mississippi town, justice and the law are two very different things. Academy Award Winner Mel Gibson (Braveheart), Garret Hedlund (TRON: Legacy), and Willa Fitzgerald (Scream: The TV Series) star in a modern noir thriller based on the acclaimed novel by Michael Farris Smith about two lost souls tortured by the mistakes of their past and bound by a secret that keeps them running.

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Leslie Felperin

Guardian

The whole farrago is based on a novel by Michael Farris Smith, who is also a producer which may explain why the script keeps digressing to introduce more badly drawn secondary characters.

Rated: 2/5

Nov 14, 2023

Full Review

Emiliano Basile

EscribiendoCine

The performances deliver and rise to the occasion, but the erratic plot development is unforgivably disappointing. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 5/10

Jul 2, 2024

Full Review

Linda Cook

OurQuadCities / WHBF-TV (Illinois)

It's a solid thriller about redemption and forgiveness.

Rated: 3 stars

Oct 25, 2023

Full Review

Tatiana Hullender

Screen Rant

Despite a screenplay penned by the author of its source material, Desperation Road never quite reaches the heights of Michael Farris Smith's novel.

Rated: 2.5/5

Oct 18, 2023

Full Review

Tyler Treese

ComingSoon.net

Desperation Road does a great job of condensing the novel it is based on into a meaningful film that clocks in under two hours.

Rated: 7/10

Oct 18, 2023

Full Review

Chris Gelderd

Flickering Myth

An adaptation that seems to care for the material it’s based on and looks great on screen with a talented cast and crew bringing it to life.

Oct 18, 2023

Full Review

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Allen Roy M

It is a film about revenge, that is true, but it is also a film about reconciliation and recompense. More than that though, it is a film about not only family but especially friendship. The ties that bind. I found no flaws and no faults. There was no unnecessary characters and no scenes that needed trimming or were not pertinent to the overall story. The acting was excellent, realistic, believable and above par. And of course, there's Mel Gibson.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/14/24

Full Review

AD 3

Pretty disappointing, could've been alot better. The acting was pretty solid across the board. The issue was the story itself. Dealing with unresolved trauma is obviously serious subject matter yet the movie is resting crucial points on things that are completely improbable. I'm ok with things not always being realistic or maybe something ended up on the cutting room floor but in this movie that wasn't the case. The actions of the people NOT dealing with trauma were also far fetched to a degree that I had to call horseshit on the stupidy beyond stupid multiple occasions. In fact that's why this movie can't say 'Based on a true story' because it's asking the audience to look the other way too many times; that's a bad mix with the subject matter. Again, the story let down a fairly good effort by the actors.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

06/28/24

Full Review

Kirsten W

I never understood the crime that the main guy committed but I liked the story and plan to watch it again.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/29/24

Full Review

DuVay K

Decent small film. Righteous character-driven study of the human condition. Over top Tropey tho. But not a bad 1st time effort from scripter MICHAEL FARRIS SMITH. Kool underplayed by MEL "Lethal Weapon" Gibson. At a minimum, makes me wanna keep my eye on Smith to see what he does later on. The book that he wrote that the movie is based on wasnt half bad, either. Even tho it also was more or less DERIVATIVE. Been There/Done That. May have even ripped off HARRY CREWS, another grotesquery/gritty-writing southerner.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/02/24

Full Review

Jerod S

Sometimes, Desperation Road gets bogged down in too much talking. But the story of gritty, broken people in Mississippi is a good one. Redemption and actual parenting are themes you don't see in films much - but they stand out in this one.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/27/24

Full Review

Soldado d

Well acted, good values and the gray areas of life. Very entertaining drama.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/23/24

Full Review

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Nadine Crocker

Director

Garrett Hedlund

Russell

Willa Fitzgerald

Actor

Mel Gibson

Actor

Ryan Hurst

Actor

Woody McClain

Actor

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Desperation Road: Movie Clip - Something You Ain't Telling Me

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Desperation Road: Trailer 1

2:30

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Synopsis

In a small Mississippi town, justice and the law are two very different things. Academy Award Winner Mel Gibson (Braveheart), Garret Hedlund (TRON: Legacy), and Willa Fitzgerald (Scream: The TV Series) star in a modern noir thriller based on the acclaimed novel by Michael Farris Smith about two lost souls tortured by the mistakes of their past and bound by a secret that keeps them running.

Director: Nadine Crocker
Producer: Cassian Elwes, Nadine Crocker, Michael Farris Smith, Walter Josten, Paul Robarts
Screenwriter: Michael Farris Smith
Distributor: Lionsgate
Production Co: Hopeful Romantix Productions, Balcony 9 Productions, Grindstone Entertainment Group, Capstone Studios, Signature Entertainment, Elevated Films (II)
Rating: R (Nudity|Language Throughout|Brief Sexuality|Sexual Assault|Some Violence)
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 6, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 6, 2023
Runtime: 1h 52m

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