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.

Directed by —, Return to Mortville leans on a strong ensemble — John Waters, Mink Stole, Susan Lowe — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2026.