Five Desperate Women

Five Desperate Women

Year: 1971

Runtime: 73 mins

Language: English

Director: Ted Post

DramaThriller

When a group of five young women travel to a remote, isolated island for a vacation, they soon discover they are not alone. A silent, mysterious killer begins stalking them one by one, turning their getaway into a nightmare of terror and survival as they fight to stay alive.

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Timeline & Setting – Five Desperate Women (1971)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Five Desperate Women (1971). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Isolated private island cottage, private beach

An exclusive cottage sits on a secluded island with no phone contact to the mainland. The island features a private beach and a small company cabin where the boat captain Meeker and the caretaker Wylie operate. The remoteness creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that drives the group’s fear and suspicion when danger arises.

🏝️ Isolated setting 🌊 Private beach 🚫 No mainland contact

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:15

Main Characters – Five Desperate Women (1971)

Meet the key characters of Five Desperate Women (1971), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Dorian

Dorian is one of the five women at the island reunion. She navigates the rising tensions among the group and becomes a voice of caution as the danger escalates. Her observations help the others assess trust and safety amid the unfolding crisis.

🧭 Leader 🕵️ Cautious 🌊 Island survivor

Gloria

Gloria is another member of the reunion who adds emotional depth to the group dynamics. She grapples with personal issues while trying to maintain cohesion and support among the women. Her responses reveal loyalty and vulnerability under pressure.

💞 Emotional core 🧭 Loyal 🔎 Persuasive

Mary Grace

Mary Grace is one of the five women, carrying personal issues from college that complicate the group’s decisions. She contributes to the emotional stakes and tests the limits of trust when danger mounts.

🎯 Focused 🧠 Reflective 💬 Conversational

Joy

Joy is among the women and brings a mix of nerves and resilience to the crisis. Her interactions with the others and the creeping sense of threat shape the group's strategy to stay safe.

🌟 Supportive 🤔 Thoughtful 🕯️ Anxious

Lucy

Lucy is one of the women who shows practical resolve in the face of danger. She challenges others to stay alert and contributes to the decision to remain together and protect one another.

🧭 Resourceful 🗝️ Determined 🌀 Courageous

Jim Meeker

Jim Meeker is the captain of the boat bringing the women to the island. He is quick to conflict and becomes a focal point in the early tensions, ultimately killed in the confrontation with Wylie.

💪 Authority 🗯️ Impulsive 🔒 Protective

Michael Wylie

Michael Wylie is the island’s caretaker whose seemingly helpful demeanor hides a dangerous deception. He reveals himself as the killer and uses manipulation to mislead the women until his downfall at their hands.

🕵️‍♂️ Imposter 🧠 Calculating 😈 Dangerous

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:15

Major Themes – Five Desperate Women (1971)

Explore the central themes of Five Desperate Women (1971), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🏝️ Isolation

Isolation amplifies fear and suspicion as help is far away and communication is limited. The private island setting forces the five women to confront danger within their own circle. The absence of outside witnesses heightens the stakes of every decision. The environment becomes a character shaping motive, tension, and survival.

🕵️ Deception

Deception drives the plot as an imposter murderer uses a false identity to manipulate the group. The women must distinguish truth from illusion while trust deteriorates. The killer's strategy relies on exploiting the isolation and the men’s presence to mislead the women. When the truth finally surfaces, it is too late for some.

🤝 Trust and Survival

Trust is fractured and then tested as the women decide to stay together rather than split up. They must rely on each other to survive both the killer and the island’s dangers. The group ultimately unites to confront the threat, turning fear into resilience.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:15

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Thrillers about a group under siege like Five Desperate Women

A contained group hunted by an unknown threat in a remote location.If you enjoyed the tense survival story in Five Desperate Women, you'll find similar thrills in these movies about groups trapped and hunted in remote locations. These stories share a claustrophobic atmosphere, mounting paranoia, and a desperate fight for survival against an unseen or unknown enemy.

claustrophobictenseparanoiddesperateunsettlingsuspensefultrapped

Narrative Summary

These narratives typically begin with a group arriving in a secluded setting, only to find themselves trapped and targeted. The plot unfolds as a linear survival story, where characters must determine the nature of the threat and who to trust, all while their numbers dwindle. The climax often involves a final, desperate confrontation with the antagonist.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here based on their shared premise of a contained group facing an external threat in an isolated environment. They create a similar viewing experience defined by high tension, claustrophobia, and the psychological dynamics of fear and suspicion within a trapped community.

Movies with mounting paranoia like Five Desperate Women

A steady build of distrust and fear within a confined group.Fans of the anxious, distrustful atmosphere in Five Desperate Women will appreciate these movies that masterfully build paranoia. This selection features stories where the fear comes from within the group as much as from an external threat, creating a slow burn of psychological tension and suspicion.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern revolves around introducing a group dynamic and then seeding doubt among its members. The pacing is steady, allowing suspicion to fester and alliances to shift. The central mystery often involves a 'whodunnit' element where the true identity of the threat is hidden, forcing characters to turn on each other.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their primary focus on the psychological erosion of a group through fear and mistrust. They share a specific mood of anxiety and a narrative approach that prioritizes the slow build of tension over sudden shocks, creating a deeply unsettling experience.

Unlock the Full Story of Five Desperate Women

Don't stop at just watching — explore Five Desperate Women in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Five Desperate Women is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Five Desperate Women Summary

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Five Desperate Women Summary

Five Desperate Women Timeline

Track the full timeline of Five Desperate Women with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Five Desperate Women Timeline

Five Desperate Women Spoiler-Free Summary

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Five Desperate Women Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Five Desperate Women

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