The Deliverance

• Directed by Lee Daniels
• August 16, 2024
• Inspired by the Ammons haunting case
• Netflix

After moving into a house, a family begins to experience strange supernatural events.

For a little background growing up I read a lot of real-life supernatural stories. That went along with my interest in cryptids and UFOs. My elementary and middle school libraries had an ample supply of books on all those topics to feed my interest. Those books treated the topics seriously rather than with a New Age spin. It ignited a passion that still lingers today. 

Based on my youth when I heard that Netflix’s The Deliverance was based on true events my interest was piqued. Yet it was not as intriguing as it should have been. I felt from the start that something was missing. It was not until after I finished that I learned this film was only inspired by actual events but not based on them.

The movie centers around the dysfunctional Jackson family-matriarch Alberta (Glenn Close) and her daughter Ebony (Andra Day) along with Ebony’s children Andre (Anthony B. Jenkins), Nate (Caleb McLaughlin), and Shante (Demi Singleton). Just like that famous family, these Jacksons are a distinctly messed up group. Ebony is a raging and maybe even abusive alcoholic. The mother was apparently a turd as a parent until she found religion. The kids have problems because of the issues between their mother and grandmother as well as the problems between mom and dad. Good yet generic foundation.

It takes about 30 minutes or so for things to get a little interesting. Until then we are treated to how resentful and angry the daughter is towards the mother and how the mother apparently eyes up every black man she meets like a Weight Watchers attendee eyes up fresh cake. Toss in the barely hidden resentment of the grandchildren to their mother.

Andre acts weird but the first bit of serious strangeness is him saying he plays with a kid living in a hole in a basement. I would freak out over that! How does that make sense? You either think it’s something supernatural or your child has lost their mind. Anywho… 

Glenn Close appears to be cast just to give The Deliverance a bit of artistic cred. Her character is gone about halfway into the movie and contributes almost nothing to the film other than the more interesting scenes. Alberta is equal parts trashy and religious and her contributions don’t go much of anywhere. When Alberta is gone The Deliverance loses a little something. Close’s performance added a little bit of magic that was distinctly lacking afterwards. Or maybe the execution of the story itself was bad from the start and she helped give it a bit of polish.

Reverend Bernice James (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) just kinda shows up. Has she been stalking the house the whole time or did something inspire her to go see what was going on? She has a connection to what went on in the house before so was she just waiting for another family to fall victim? Why not be proactive? I don’t know.

The story never gets to the point either a feeling like they are facing off against ultimate evil. This is a demon sent by Lucifer himself to torment these people and kill them and take their souls. They tell you that’s what the stakes are, but they never make you feel that’s what the stakes are. It looks like Daniels had the idea to draw parallels between the evil and the family issues but cannot decide on how to make that connection.  

I don’t think we needed an addendum to give the family a happy or potentially happy ending with Ebony getting back with her ex. They never give an outright reason why the two broke up but you can assume it’s probably built around her massive dysfunction which makes you question how she has custody the kids anyway. She has a criminal record and is currently known to CPS to be an alcoholic. Is the father worse? If so that ending is not as happy as they would have you think. 

The main reason to watch The Deliverance is to watch Glenn Close play a horny old woman that’s exclusively into black men. The supernatural elements and the family dysfunction are rather generic. You won’t feel like you wasted your time, but there’s nothing really special.