Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- campy
- grotesque
- irreverent
- cult movie night
- transgressive cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly recognize the film as an inventive, outrageous cult comedy whose fearless transgression and camp style are stronger than its conventional narrative.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mortville, Queen Carlotta, criminal melodrama, and shock humor transform social transgression into flamboyant spectacle.
Queen Carlotta’s tyrannical rule over Mortville turns fascism and state power into grotesque comic theater.
The central refuge includes a lesbian ex-wrestler, her murderess lover, and other marginalized figures presented through camp performance.
Mortville explicitly shelters criminals and organizes its community around outlaw identity and authoritarian control.
Films like Desperate Living, and why
Pink Flamingos
shared transgressive camp, grotesque humor, queer subtext, and deliberately abrasive social satire
Female Trouble
shared outrageous exploitation comedy, taboo subject matter, drag performance, and anarchic anti-authoritarian tone
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
shared grotesque fantasy, queer outsider characters, and heightened political satire
Polyester
shared cult sensibility, surreal criminal underworld, and darkly comic outsider perspective
Movie Details
- Director
- John Waters
- Release Date
- 1977-05-27
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (125)
Cast
- Liz Renay
- Mink Stole
- Susan Lowe
- Edith Massey
- Mary Vivian Pearce
- Jean Hill
- Brook Yeaton
- Karen Gerwig
- Jay Allan
- Al Strapelli
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Desperate Living about?
- A murderous housewife and her maid flee into Mortville, where queer outlaws, grotesque spectacle, and a tyrannical queen turn criminal refuge into anarchic camp.
- What is Desperate Living like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Desperate Living as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Desperate Living violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Desperate Living as moderate.
- What did critics think of Desperate Living?
- Critics broadly recognize the film as an inventive, outrageous cult comedy whose fearless transgression and camp style are stronger than its conventional narrative.
- Which films are like Desperate Living?
- Films with a similar feel include Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Polyester.
- How long is Desperate Living?
- Desperate Living runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Desperate Living?
- In United States, Desperate Living is available to rent or buy from Fandango At Home.
