Return to Mortville
Special feature from Criterion’s release of Desperate Living, where writer-director John Waters tours the Baltimore location that served as the site of Mortville, the twisted penal colony inhabited by fugitives, outcasts, and deviants – including hysterical housewife Peggy Gravel and her fed-up housekeeper – and presided over by the despotic Queen Carlotta.
Who's in it
Cast
The billed ensemble, with character names. Open any performer for their Nutevio filmography.
Story overview
What It's About
Spoiler-free. Read the analysis below for the full argument.
Special feature from Criterion’s release of Desperate Living, where writer-director John Waters tours the Baltimore location that served as the site of Mortville, the twisted penal colony inhabited by fugitives, outcasts, and deviants – including hysterical housewife Peggy Gravel and her fed-up housekeeper – and presided over by the despotic Queen Carlotta.
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
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The numbers
Box Office & Release
- Budget
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- Opening weekend
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- Domestic gross
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- International gross
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- Worldwide gross
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- Release date
- Jun 23, 2026
- Runtime
- 0h 14m
- MPAA rating
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- Language
- English
- Country
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Figures from the verified production record. Fields we cannot source are left blank rather than estimated.
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