The Deliverance – Review | Netflix (3/5)

THE DELIVERANCE on Netflix is a new horror movie from filmmaker Lee Daniels. Inspired by a true story and with a stellar cast led by Andra Day and Glenn Close. Read our full The Deliverance movie review here!

THE DELIVERANCE is a new Netflix horror movie inspired by actual events. This is a story that features demons and an act of exorcism (though by another name, hence the title). The final act has a lot of practical effects and violent action sequences.

For me, this movie is at its very best when the cast gets to shine in raw and honest character portrayals. The runtime of 1 hour and 52 minutes is a tad too long. Not by too much, but still, it would’ve been good to keep it a bit tighter.

Continue reading our The Deliverance (2024) movie review below. Find it on Netflix from August 30, 2024.

Another scary real-life event

As horror fans, we’re used to seeing horror movies based on actual events or inspired by true stories. Especially these stories that feature some sort of demonic possession. I mean, The Conjuring franchise is just one example.

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Our feature article about the true story that inspired The Deliverance >

In The Deliverance, which – for the record – has absolutely nothing to do with the 1972 movie Deliverance, we meet Ebony Jackson (Andra Day) and her family.

Her family consists of an estranged husband on a tour of duty in Iraq, her mother (Glenn Close), and three children. Ebony is struggling to keep her life together as she battles both personal demons [alcohol] and financial struggles.

She moves her family into a new house – the third home in one year for her kids – and very soon, strange occurrences start happening. Her children start acting out and that in turn raises the suspicions of Child Protective Services.

However, it’s about to get a lot worse. Flies are all over the house, but especially near the basement door. Also, a vile smell is coming from that very same basement. The result is a story that is genre-defying in many ways.

One that deals with darkness, possession, and finding a higher power. That latter part tends to get a bit much for me, but (for the most part) it works in this movie.

A powerhouse cast

With a cast like this, I would watch The Deliverance regardless of genre. The fact that this is an actual horror movie just means it’s at the very top of my watch list from the moment of release.

We’re getting well and truly spoiled with this cast. From Andra Day to Glenn Close as mother and daughter leading this brilliant cast.

Andra Day also starred in the previous movie from this director. This was The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) which also earned Andra Day an Academy Award nomination. And Glenn Close is almost infamous for being nominated a whopping eight (8!) times and still not having won an Oscar.

As the kids in the household, we see Caleb McLaughlin (Stranger Things), Demi Singleton (King Richard), and Anthony B. Jenkins (Florida Man).

In other key roles, we see Mo’Nique, who is already an Oscar-winner (for a previous movie by The Deliverance filmmaker), and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, who was breathtaking in Lovecraft Country. And also, Omar Epps has a small role.

Watch The Deliverance on Netflix now!

The Deliverance was directed by Lee Daniels, who has made many successful movies already, but this is his first horror movie. Back in 2009, he directed the award-winning coming-of-age drama Precious, which won two Academy Awards.

Mo’Nique won a much-deserved Oscar for her performance and the screenwriter, Geoffrey Fletcher, also won for best adapted screenplay as the first ever African American to win a Best Screenplay Oscar. It also made Lee Daniels an Academy Award-nominated director.

Who knows, maybe co-starring in a movie directed by Lee Daniels will finally see Glenn Close win an Oscar as well. I doubt it simply due to this being a horror movie – I will never get over Toni Collette being snubbed for Hereditary – but we’ll see.

Glenn Close certainly delivers a powerful performance in The Deliverance – as does everyone in the cast. Be sure to check it out on Netflix now.

The Deliverance starts streaming on Netflix on August 30, 2024.

Details

Director: Lee Daniels
Writer: Elijah Bynum, David Coggeshall
Cast: Andra Day, Glenn Close, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Mo’Nique, Demi Singleton, Caleb McLaughlin, Anthony B. Jenkins, Omar Epps, Miss Lawrence