The Deliverance (2024) - Absurdity Over Horror Button

I’m not exaggerating when I say a demonic spirit is in that house.

The Deliverance is a 2024 film based on true accounts. After moving into a new home in Indiana, a family discovers a strange and demonic occurrence. This wicked demon possesses the kids, leading child support to suspect Ebony of abuse.

In the making of The Deliverance, the ridiculous button was pressed, instead of horror. What starts as a compelling story about family dramas descends into a bizarre madhouse of unbelievable situations.

Andra Day is a remarkable actress who cannot be overlooked. Her performance as Billie Holiday started it all for her. She doesn’t just play her characters, she transforms them into something more compelling. Ebony is a rough parent who has faced hardships. The film missed opportunities to explore deeper layers of her character.

Starring alongside Day is Glenn Close as Ebony’s mother, Alberta. Close is another actress of her time. She plays a similar grandmother role in Hillbilly Elegy. Alberta is undergoing treatment for an illness, but she remains strong. Like her daughter, Alberta is not afraid to say what’s on her mind.

Day and Close’s characters and interactions are the most memorable part of the movie. They make a believable mother-daughter connection. Their relationship is strained, but they still love each other.

Anthony B. Jenkins, Caleb McLaughlin, and Demi Singleton play Ebony’s kids. The actors do an excellent job in their roles, creating a genuine family dynamic. They have terse interactions where Ebony doesn’t use the right methods when arguing. I liked the moment when three generations were brushing one another’s hair.

Speaking of the kids... where are the kids? By the middle, the film forgets about the kids! First, something is wrong with the kids until it’s made to resemble vengeful spirits pining for Ebony as a bad parent. This story is Ebony’s, but their characters deserved more fleshing out and involvement.

Mo’Nique and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor are also in The Deliverance. Both are strong actresses. It’s ironic how Mo’Nique plays a social worker, considering her famous performance as the abusive Mary Jones in Precious. She replaced Octavia Spencer who was originally intended to play the role.

As for Ellis-Taylor, she plays Reverand Bernice James, an exorcist who doesn’t want to be described as one. She is the exposition narrator. The Deliverance is based on the true events of the Ammon family, who experienced hauntings in Gary, Indiana in 2011.

Were all the witnesses involved with this film? Ellis-Taylor’s character felt more like a parody and wasn’t finished in the character outlines. When someone said to press the panic button, the absurdity button was pressed, instead. The film hardly takes itself seriously and abandons all logic.

The Deliverance was directed by Lee Daniels who is known for making compelling and emotional dramas, like Precious and (Oscar-ignored) The Butler. Based on the silly angle The Deliverance takes, horror is not for Daniels. I enjoy horror films, but the family drama is more interesting. His vision never quite comes together.

This film becomes weird. So weird that it dresses Glenn Close in a hideously terrifying makeover that I wasn’t sure I should take seriously. Is it a ghost story, possession, or demons? We needed more from this actual story of events.

While The Deliverance certainly tries to deliver (pun intended), it leaves viewers in an odd limbo between emotional drama and a horror that doesn’t quite stick. Horror brings an assortment of films, some that are too corny. If you want to watch The Deliverance, it’s on Netflix.