Straight from the outset, Desperation Road lets us know that it is not going to be an easy road to travel and the hardship that the two leads must endure is not only going to be a rocky one, but one that will test you to see if you can endure the longevity set between the beats of depression, fatigue and failure among the drama and heart of the movie.

Nadine Crocker doesn’t shy away from wringing out every ounce of anguish in her sophomore outing and has some hard hitters to support bringing Michael Farris Smith’s screenplay through her creative vision. Garrett Hedlund (The Marsh King’s Daughter), Russell, is a man trying to turn his life around but still haunted by his past following a drink-driving accident. While the town is not willing to forgive, his father (Mel Gibson) will always feel the heartache for his son. When Russell crosses paths with a woman, Maben (Willa Fitzgerald – Scream: The TV series) who is on the run with her young daughter, Analee (Pyper Braun).

When these lives intertwine, the reality of the past becomes apparent and their shared pain becomes one that will forever connect them, bound in a lawless future that may never heal.

The Prognosis:

This is a hard slog without fault from its leads who wallow in the depth of their depraved characters’ lives. The more entrenched they are, the more difficult it becomes for the viewer to drift when the river of pain is so unsettling. Despite this, we coast along to the harmony of strong performances on show towards the final act. Some may not wish to stick around until then, but for those who do, the burden of the narrative road that has been travelled is felt with every step and as with any hardship, the catharsis is rewarding once we find ourselves at the other side of the carnage.

• Saul Muerte