Backstory:
This film “The Deliverance” is based on a true story of Latoya Ammons who was reportedly tormented by a haunted house alongside her three children which took place in Gary, Indiana, USA in 2011.

While some persons including their family physician Geoffrey Onyeukwu posited that Latoya had delusional thoughts and was hallucinating, her kids only acting up in order to corroborate their mum’s claims, others maintained that indeed the house was haunted.

The story which gained widespread media coverage in January 2014, was adapted into a paranormal documentary by Zak Bagans together with his 3-man team. He titled it “Demon House.”

Zak Bagans who had initially bought the house, demolished it in 2016 after the documentary which equally rated high as “one of the single most compelling documentaries…” at the time. (Source: Wikipedia 2024).

Now as a film adaptation, “The Deliverance” is directed by award winning American producer, director and screenwriter Lee Daniels.

Spoiler Alert 

Synopsis:
Ebony (Andra Day) is a single mother of three children: Nate, Shante and Andre.

Moving into a new house in Pennsylvania to try and pick up the pieces of her broken life which mirrors her childhood, Ebony invites her mom Alberta (Glenn Close) to come live with them and help out with the kids.

Alberta herself, who has now found a new faith in Christ as she professes, is battling with a disease and is undergoing chemotherapy (secretly paid for by Ebony).

No sooner had the family settled into the new house and neighbourhood than they started to see flies buzzing and a horrible stench oozing out from the basement of their house making them uncomfortable.

Even after a handyman would trace, discover and get rid of a dead animal from the said basement, the flies continue.

A series of awfully disturbing events would then follow as Andre (Dre) is seen and heard talking to an invisible make-believe (imaginary) friend, Tre.

A habit that gives his troubled mother cause for worry as she takes solace in alcohol amidst a handful of other problems.

What follows in the sequencing of events paints a picture of a dysfunctional family:

Alberta occasionally hits on young black guys sëducing them and would have a couple of fights with her daughter, Ebony.

Shante, a teenager who’s mad, upset and “…tired of being broke!” (in reference to their family’s financial state) is seen smoking cigarettes in the presence of her mother Ebony and grandmother, Alberta.

Nate gets bullied in the neighbourhood and doesn’t respect his mother either even though he cares about their low financial level.

Andre is almost always looking possessed by an ev!l spirit and does all sorts at home and in school.

Ebony on the other hand is having money troubles and is looking frustrated for the most part. She complains she doesn’t know the whereabouts of the father of her kids except that he is somewhere in Iraq.

Department of Child Services (DCS) staff, Cynthia (Mo’Nique) frequents the house questioning Ebony about hers and the wellbeing of the kids so much so that she is concerned that Ebony could end up getting ‘302’d’ (for mental health).

Things get super intense and Ebony seeks help from Apostle Bernice James (portrayed by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) who hitherto had approached her about the family needing “The Deliverance” to free them from the shackles of the evil spirits residing in their house telling her of a past incident or history Ebony knew nothing about.

What follows after are nerve wracking events, jaw dropping moments, eerie scenes, an individual levitating, crawling up walls and an intriguing battle with evil spirits.

What would become of Ebony, her kids and her mother? Will “The Deliverance” pull through? Why not grab your popcorn (cos you’ll be needing it!), sit back and enjoy this paranormal/thriller/horror movie.

My take:
The opening song by Andra Day herself was captivating. It was remarkably outstanding, it got me in the mood of “okay…this movie is gonna be lit!” Was I disappointed? No! and Yes! No because:
The beginning of the movie gave me quite the nostalgia for back in the day in Church when we’d have Christian movie nights with a film displayed from a projector onto a plain white cloth.

I’m always pleased, elated even to see faith-based movies especially when they’re interpreted quite naturally like the actors in this film did. Bravo to all involved 

The cinematography, editing, CGI, green screen, etc was good albeit the continuity in the last scene gave me some 1950s/1960s movies vibes for the motion picture freeze-fade-out effect used…not sure why they decided on that though 

Be that as it may, I was however disappointed…

Yes, because:
Having seen loads, I’m talking LOADS of thriller and horror movies, this film had absolutely nothing new to bring to the table later on and in the end. I was gutted. I had high hopes and this film left me high and dry (pun not intended) 

 Gosh! I so wanted to rate this super high but…In addition, it had some cringey and confusing scenes:

Firstly, the scene at the bath tub when Nate tried to drown Andre, Ebony’s reaction was far from believable. It had me screaming at my TV screen! Like who does that? 

Secondly, why did Apostle Bernice contradict herself? At the cafe when she first told Ebony the house was haunted, and Ebony interjected “…Oh like in an exorcist movie?” To this, Bernice replied “this is no exorcism…I don’t need no intercessor…my intercessor is Jesus Christ!”

Later on, Apostle Bernice is seen doing the exact same exorcism with a different nomenclature “The Deliverance!” Are these two not one and the same thing? Aren’t they both centred around the same focus which is to “cast out evil spirits/demons?” 

 Spiritual leaders, please help us out here.

Thirdly, the ending was just wrapped up ever so quickly like it was rushed. While Ebony fought hard with her spirit, soul and body, sustaining lasting injuries and bruises in the process whilst battling the shape-shifting, body-changing demon, the scars, wounds and marks on her children were seen disappearing and instantly fading out in the last part right before our very eyes! 

 Ok! How do we explain that? 

Fourthly, in the real life story, nothing was mentioned of how the spiritual icon conducting “the deliverance” or exorcism ended up. Why then was Apostle Bernice made to end up like she did in the film?

Is this meant to drive a certain narrative? Or maybe it’s simply to teach us a lesson that “only an individual can fight and conquer their own demons as we are all the same in the eyes of God?” 

 Maybe! Just maybe 

Conclusively, this film was interesting no doubt. It had huge prospects but the later part felt somewhat underwhelming with the repetition of paranormal elements, and events and sequencing. It seemed really really cliche and got me eye-rolling 

 and as with most Christian films, the lesson that stood out for me is of “hope, faith and conviction that God is the ultimate!” (Hebrews 11:6 “For without faith, it’s impossible to please God!”)

I’ll give this a 6.5/10

Have you seen this? What did you think