The Deliverance (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – A family living in a home in Indiana discover strange, demonic occurrences that convince them and the community that the house is a portal to hell.

My Take – Though writer, producer and director Lee Daniels is often considered among the prestige filmmakers to come out of Hollywood mainly due to his focus on “Black” stories. The truth remains, at least as far as directorial credits go, he has been more of a miss than a hit kind of helmer, with Precious (2009) and The Butler (2013) doing wonders, both critically and commercially, while the rest of his filmography quickly faded out of memory following their mediocre reception.

For his latest, a Netflix release, as a director Daniels tries to step outside his usual dramatic comfort zone in favor of something in the genre space: a true horror story. Taking inspiration from the 2011 Ammons haunting case which became a widely publicized alleged haunting that attracted an inordinate amount of media attention and became something of an Amityville Horror for the new generation.

The case attracted enough attention to result in a 2018 documentary called Demon House from paranormalist Zak Bagans. But while many have written off the events as a psychological phenomenon rather than a supernatural one. Credibility aside, the story itself had enough potential to turn into a compelling piece.

Unfortunately, Lee Daniels’ foray into horror is neither scary nor thoughtful enough to leave a mark. Instead, acting more like a rehash of all the demonic possession and dysfunctional family films we have seen before. Only this time laced with all known clichés from the black culture.

Sure, it has some interesting ideas in the mix, and gestures towards them through its nearly 111 minute runtime. But, the screenplay from writers David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum is too reliant on tropes that no longer have any surprise factor to them. Other than the more urban setting, there is simply nothing unique here as the film wastes its talented cast to narrate its story through.

Set in 2011 Pennsylvania, the story follows Ebony Jackson (Andra Day), an alcoholic single mother who being prone to anger and violence is struggling to care for her children Nate (Caleb McLaughlin), Shante (Demi Singleton), and Andre (Anthony B. Jenkins) while taking help from her cancer ridden mother Alberta (Glenn Close). All the while dealing with her own personal demons and a vigilant social worker (Mo’Nique), who is always checking up on her and threatening to take away her children.

But despite strained finances Ebony moves her family to a new home, that is rife with problems, hoping for a fresh start, but not long after the move, unexplained things start happening in the home that makes everyone believe there is something other worldly and dangerous at play.

From here on, the film slowly transforms into full-on supernatural horror film that borrows heavily from The Exorcist (1973) and turns into some sort of lost chapter of The Conjuring (2013). We also get an inexperienced reverend played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, who arrives to save the day, but ends up getting back handed by the demon.

Without a doubt, the story has a promising start in the first act, establishing characters and their struggles. After that you just wait for something dramatic to build up and set this film apart from other entries of the genre. Sadly, it never happens.

Making us wonder, if the film would have worked better if it had functioned solely as a domestic drama infused with the thorny, real-world issues of addiction, poverty and racism. Mainly as once the film gets into the horror elements, Daniels’ inexperience as a genre filmmaker really starts showing.

Yes, he includes scenes of shocking material but the way its shot there’s just no surprise factor. Even offering the kinds of scares we’ve seen countless times before. The film seems aware of the inevitable comparisons that’ll be made to The Exorcist to the point that it even name drops that film in its third act, and this does not do it any favors.

The climatic showdown that ends the film is also ludicrous, sloppy, and derivative, but it does also manage to be mildly creepy at times, so it at least gets points for that.

If there’s anything that actually works, it’s definitely the strong and committed cast assembled here who bring their A game to the material. Andra Day who was nominated for an Academy Award for her role as Billie Holliday in her last collaboration with Daniels is still very good here as she really sells it playing someone who’s barely holding it together and wants to do right by her children but is unwilling or unable to actually follow through on it.

If you thought Glenn Close was wild in the unwatchable Hillbilly Elegy (2020), wait until you get a look at her here. The three children played by Anthony B. Jenkins, Caleb McLaughlin and Demi Singleton do well in their respective roles.

In supporting roles, Mo’Nique brings a world-weariness to the role but also a feeling of genuine concern, as Aunjanue Ellis–Taylor offers warmth and strength as an apostle. On the whole, ‘The Deliverance’ is a derivative possession thriller that is neither scary enough as a horror nor insightful enough as a drama to leave a mark.