Horror is almost an afterthought in director Lee Daniels’ The Deliverance. The director behind domestic drama Precious and musical biopic United States vs. Billie Holiday draws inspiration from the true story of Latoya Ammons, focusing on the plight of a single mother struggling to survive when her new home harbors an evil that means them all harm. Daniels cuts to the fierce heart of the fictional family at the center of this possession drama, exposing flaws and all, but gets a little too skittish around the horror, so much so that The Deliverance uses the well-trodden exorcism formula to relay didactic faith-based messaging.
Set in Pittsburgh in 2011, single mom Ebony Jackson (Andra Day) has recently moved into a new home with her kids Nate (Caleb McLaughlin), Shante (Demi Singleton), and Andre (Anthony B. Jenkins). It’s a house that appears normal but comes with all the telltale signs of a haunting straight out of the gate. Buzzing flies, creaky doors, and a peculiar imaginary friend for the youngest child, Andre. If life were worry-free, the Jackson family might take note of the bizarre happenings, but Ebony has more pressing problems to address. She’s separated from her husband, can barely make ends meet, and frequently clashes with her outspoken mother, Alberta (Glenn Close). By the time the sinister presence escalates, its machinations and bruises appear on her kids, and everyone assumes Ebony’s slipping into old habits. Not even her social worker, Cynthia Henry (Mo’Nique), believes her thanks to a checkered past.
The Deliverance. (L to R) Anthony B. Jenkins as Andre and Andra Day as Ebony in The Deliverance. Cr. Aaron Ricketts/Netflix © 2024
Daniels, who also wrote with writers David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum, knows his way around crafting compelling drama. The Deliverance is at its strongest when digging into the complex interiority of Ebony Jackson, made all the more riveting by Andra Day’s fearless performance. Day’s Ebony is tough as nails, even going so far as to knee one of her kid’s bullies in the groin, but that toughness masks her insecurities and vulnerability as a struggling mother trying to make up for past wrongs.
Ebony gets it from her mother. Close cuts loose with her bold portrayal of Alberta, a former addict who found Jesus in recovery and now lives with Ebony while undergoing chemo. The mother-daughter relationship becomes a fulcrum, their relationship shaped by cycles of abuse amidst poverty. Scenes between Day and Close are electric as the formidable actors lay their character’s souls bare to each other, infusing the film with emotional and thematic depth. It’s so effective that it becomes all too easy to forget this is supposed to be a horror movie at all, with only faint smatterings of scary signs sprinkled throughout.
The Deliverance. Demi Singleton as Shante in The Deliverance. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024
Most of those horror reminders come from Reverend Bernice James (Aunjanue Ellis), a supernaturally savvy apostle who spends most of the film solo, scoping out the home she knows has a history of demonic terror. While that means that Ellis is responsible for delivering much of the exposition behind the demon house, she’s largely sidelined and left without much to do until the third act’s deliverance. When it arrives, the film completely collapses under the weight of familiar exorcism beats and rough VFX choices. Even the idea of Ebony facing her own inner demons falls flat despite the cast giving it their all. Not even the switching denominations or religions can breathe new life into this finale, and the slow build of character work leaves no room for faith to swoop in and save the day without coming across as cloyingly sweet and didactic.
It’s the literal demons that are far more interesting than the metaphysical ones in The Deliverance, making for a film at war with itself. When it comes to the domestic drama and Ebony’s exhaustive plight, The Deliverance comes alive and holds you in its grip. But all good will dissolves by the climax thanks to its pedantic approach to the horror. Daniels has no heart for dabbling with demon lore or scare crafting, instead seeking to nudge audiences to embrace a higher power.
The Deliverance debuts on Netflix on August 30, 2024.
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