Review: Desolate

The basic idea of a world without water being transformed into a lawless wasteland is nothing new. There are countless books and movies detailing every possible variation of this trope, and frankly none of them top Mad Max Fury Road. That’s just science. However, sometimes a hero emerges; the gates of cinematic gold open up and a movie comes out of nowhere to defy expectations and prove that even an old dog can learn new tricks. Well, sorta.

Frederick Cipotelli’s Desolate is also a fascinating near future tale of a not-quite-apocalyptic America. Billy Stone (Will Brittain) is the youngest of three brothers who, along with their father Duke (James Russo), engage in robbery and even murder to keep themselves afloat in a desolate world. All Billy wants is to leave with his girlfriend Kayla May (Natasha Bassett), but before he can do so he’s drafted into one last caper. Things of course go horribly wrong, Billy’s left for dead, and a host of Asian killers go after the torn apart family.

The world of Desolate is similar in some aspects to that of 2017’s X-Men standout Logan. Both realities feature drought-stripped stretches of mostly abandoned Americana, surrounded by a society that seems to have either moved on or has continued to maintain itself despite the troubles. Desolate is far less futuristic, to the point that you could argue that it takes place in the modern day. There are diners, motels, and mechanics going about business as normal. Perhaps it really is the modern day, and this is simply the world that we as Americans have left behind. At no point are we given much to persuade us either way, and that’s just dandy in my eyes.

Per his website, Frederick Cipoletti is a very talented photographer, and between him and director of photography Isaac Bauman (who shot a good chunk of Channel Zero), what we get with Desolate is an incredibly professional and artfully composed film. Pretty much every composition is glorious and deserving of a few dozen tweets by One Perfect Shot.

This neo-Western episode of Family Feud is best when it’s either showing off stellar camerawork or pitting the Stone brothers against each other. While one climactic confrontation in a motel room definitely feels like something that’s been done before, that doesn’t stop our cast from selling the hell out of this dysfunctional bunch of Midwestern criminals. It’s a testament to the production that pretty much every obvious dramatic turn and clichéd moment comes off so naturally.

If there is a serious flaw to Desolate, it’s that there’s very little in the way of that memorable scene. Most classic films have that one scene, like the elevator fight in Drive or Murphy waking up in Robocop, and while time could prove me wrong, there’s no one scene in Desolate that really stands out as the one a hypothetical audience member might be talking about afterward. Even the ending, which is both incredibly on the nose thematically and strangely fitting, doesn’t come off as much more than a “yeah, that makes sense” followed closely by the credits.

There’s a similar issue to be had with the characters who, while an even mix of likable and detestable when they need to be, are not going to stick with you as much as those great visuals. This is mostly down to the lack of original ideas which, while fine thanks to such a strong approach, does have some obvious drawbacks. The film is also very dry, both in the literal drought-stricken sense and also in the character interactions. Even our main character, amiably portrayed by Will Brittain, doesn’t come off as much more than a modern age Romeo with an ax to grind. By no means are these crippling issues, but they do stop the film from being quite as grand as its vision.

Cipoletti and his team have crafted a simple, perfectly paced look into a very specific and intriguing world that you’ll instantly want to learn more about. In lieu of heavily detailed world building, we get what feels like a limited comic book series from Vertigo brought to life for the big screen. It’s bleak, tender, violent, and engrossing all at once, and comes highly recommended.

Desolate is now available in select theaters or to rent via Amazon Prime. Check it out.