The Deliverance Movie Review: A Familiar Journey

Despite your anticipation for the film to deliver a shocking twist, nothing significant occurs until halfway through.

The opening five minutes of The Deliverance grab your attention as the camera glides over murals and mysterious figures depicted on the walls. Some of these figures appear distorted, while childlike drawings can be unsettling upon closer inspection. However, this initial intensity quickly fades, revealing a tone that feels more cartoonish and amateurish, much like the artwork itself.

Ebony (Andra Day) is a mother raising three children—Andre (Anthony B Jenkins), Shante (Demi Singleton), and Nate (Caleb McLaughlin)—while navigating the challenges of separation from her partner, battling alcoholism, and facing financial struggles. Soon, she finds herself confronting a sinister presence in her home. Her mother, Alberta (Glenn Close), who is also battling cancer, tries to support her, but their strained mother-daughter relationship is on the brink of collapse. The filmmakers confuse excessive world-building with a slow-burn thriller, bombarding the audience with trivial details.

As you patiently await a significant twist, the film disappointingly holds back until the midpoint. Interest begins to pick up only when Andre exhibits signs of demonic possession, but this momentum is quickly dampened by familiar horror clichés. The film struggles to define itself, wavering between social drama, thriller, and horror. It attempts to offer insights on religion and love but falls short in both areas.

Based on the true story of Latoya Ammons, The Deliverance suffers from lackluster writing. Many scenes are reminiscent of classic horror tropes, borrowing heavily from films like The Exorcist and The Conjuring. With foul odors wafting from the basement and unexplained bruises appearing on the children, the film feels all too familiar.

The film effectively highlights the theme of generational trauma and how it affects different characters in various ways. Each of Ebony’s children grapples with their own struggles, rooted in their individual vulnerabilities and insecurities. While they each cope with their trauma uniquely, it’s clear that the entire family bears the weight of suffering. The evil depicted in the film can also be seen as a representation of the lingering effects of past abuse that ripple through generations. Although there are moments of hope that the film attempts to present, the writing fails to allow these moments to truly resonate. While the children experience a form of deliverance, the audience is left wanting more.

Director: Lee Daniels

Genre: Horror

Platform: Netflix

Language: English

Rating: 3/5