The Desperate Trail (1995): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1995, The Desperate Trail is an action, drama, crime and western film directed by P.J. Pesce, running about 96 minutes. “No one escapes from Marshal Bill Speakes.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Amiable con man Jack Cooper is on a westbound stagecoach, headed for the next batch of suckers who will mistake him for an easy mark. Fiery Sarah O'Rourke rides the same coach, handcuffed to lawman Bill Speakes and headed for the hangman. In a few hours, all should reach their destinations. But the trail they travel takes an unexpected turn: Cooper and O'Rourke are soon off the stage and running for their lives. The law ends and the chase begins in a very alive tale of wanted-dead-or-alive fugitives (Linda Fiorentino and Craig Sheffer) pursued by a marshal (Sam Elliott) who's a law unto himself.

Who’s in it. The Desperate Trail stars Sam Elliott as Marshall Bill Speakes, Craig Sheffer as Jack Cooper, Linda Fiorentino as Sarah O'Rourke and Frank Whaley as Walter Cooper, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 4.6/10, The Desperate Trail has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Desperate Trail page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Desperate Trail tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.