By Karyn Cook
Photo courtesy of Netflix.
Director Lee Daniels, famous for works such as the 2009 film "Precious" and the television drama "Empire," is a known name in the drama genre. How was his take on horror with his 2024 Netflix effort "The Deliverance?"
The film features an alumna from another of Daniels' works, Andra Day, who portrayed Billie Holiday in 2021's "The United States vs. Billie Holiday." Here, Day plays Ebony Jackson, a single mother raising three children in Indiana in 2011. Storied actor Glenn Close stars as Day's mother, Berta, with both delivering stunning performances. Close is undergoing chemotherapy while having a fling with hospital employee Melvin, played by Omar Epps. Caleb McLaughlin of "Stranger Things" fame appears alongside actors Anthony B. Jenkins and Demi Singleton as Ebony's children Nate, Dre and Shante, respectively. Aunjanue Ellis and Mo'Nique round out the cast as mysterious reverend Bernice James and concerned social worker Cynthia Henry.
Ebony is an abusive single mother struggling to provide for herself and her children while her estranged husband is fighting in Iraq. Neighborhood bullies and animals found on the premises are only a portion of the strange happenings that occur. Strange smells, creeping hallways, and mysterious bruises all affect the various characters within the home. Daniels contrasts the paranormal with other troubles for the family, including neighborhood bullies and family tension—Ebony and Berta clash over her mixed-race upbringing.
Many of the film's criticisms involve the relationship of Ebony and Berta, with quick-witted insults about her relationships with Black men. Daniels is provocative in his handling of mixed-race families, abusive mothers, and demons. After various trials, including strange events and outbursts happening to the children at home and in school, the children are moved from Ebony's care. The climax of the film involves Ebony fighting personal demons and a test of faith in a fight to save herself and her children.
The film is inspired by the real-life story of Latoya Ammons, who moved with her three children to Gary, Indiana in 2011 and has stated she experienced paranormal activity such as her daughter levitating above her bed and her son saying phrases including "I will kill you."
Comments