As a cinephile with a keen interest in true crime stories and a soft spot for exorcism films, I must admit that I was both excited and apprehensive about watching Netflix’s The Deliverance. Having followed Lee Daniels’ career since Precious, I had high hopes for this film, especially given its basis on the terrifying Ammons haunting case. However, after sitting through the two-hour runtime, I can’t help but feel slightly underwhelmed and slightly misled.
Premiered on Netflix on August 30, 2024, viewers are just now discovering that this latest exorcism movie is based on a chilling true event from 2011. Known as “The Deliverance,” directed by Academy Award nominee Lee Daniels (famous for his work on the 2009 film “Precious”), the production drew significant inspiration from this specific case. Interestingly, Daniels had previously expressed apprehensions about taking on this project, making its release even more unexpected.
The story behind The Deliverance is truly terrifying, which makes the finished project a slight disappointment. Having an impressive cast lined up to bring the tale to life, it unfortunately fell short. The writing, direction, and in some places, acting really failed to give the Ammons haunting case the justice it deserved. Starring Glenn Close, Caleb McLaughlin, Mo’Nique, and Andra Day, audiences seemed to expect slightly more.
Leaving this detail out, the chilling reality hidden within Netflix’s “The Deliverance” warrants further scrutiny. With numerous exorcisms occurring and doubt sparked by the family’s accounts, this tale merits careful examination.
What Went Wrong With The Deliverance?
As stated, The Deliverance has a lot of wasted potential. By the end, the audience is left with more questions than the film answers, causing the surrounding story to fall quite flat. Prior to the film’s release, media attention was more focused on the casting of Mo’Nique. Daniels and Mo’Nique had previously worked together on Precious, where she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. However, something happened before that ceremony which caused a feud to take place between the two. The disagreement revolved around the campaigning for the awards, with Mo’Nique wanting a break to focus on her family. At an important moment in the campaign, Daniels felt betrayed, causing the two to cut ties for 13 years. Therefore, when it was announced that Mo’Nique would be replacing Octavia Spencer, who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, the press focused on little else.
The movie fails to create an engaging atmosphere, making the original story seem uninteresting. With a runtime of nearly two hours, the initial segments lack sufficient action and tend to become dull. Regrettably, when the exciting parts eventually appear, they fail to deliver on their promise. The absence of horrifying elements at the beginning suggests that the real events were not as terrifying as they are depicted. The movie seemed to be heading in various directions, but it didn’t fully explore any of them. For instance, the religious undertones had no impact on the ending, which is surprising for a film about demonic possession. The Deliverance falls short in portraying the true events accurately and fails to generate any significant curiosity about what motivated this production.
The Ammons Haunting Case Inspired The Deliverance
In Gary, Indiana, during 2011, a notable case known as the Ammons haunting or Demon House made headlines. The story is similar to that of ‘The Exorcism’ (referencing ‘The Exorcist’ or ‘The Deliverance’), where a mother and her three children, along with their grandmother, experienced inexplicable events after moving into a new home. Among the unusual occurrences, they reported an extraordinary infestation of black flies on the porch, which was particularly peculiar since it happened in December and persisted even after repeated attempts to exterminate them.
Following this, the occurrences grew increasingly strange. In the movie, Rosa Campbell, portrayed by Glenn Close, reported hearing footsteps echoing from the basement and observing a man-like figure moving about in the living room. She also shared that at one point, an unseen entity seemed to choke her. This wasn’t unique to Rosa; Ammons’ 12-year-old daughter supposedly levitated off her bed during a sleepover, descending only after they prayed. Moreover, the eldest child was hurled across the room, while the youngest displayed signs of being possessed, growling menacing threats about murder.
Already, the actuality of what happened is a lot more terrifying than the film presents it to be. Even more scary is the isolation the family faced. Reaching out to their physician for help, he noted that they appeared ‘delusional.’ Eventually, the Department of Child Services reported that the children were performing for their mother, causing reports to become sensationalized, which is when the youngest was said to have walked up a wall backward. This caused the family to request an exorcism from Father Michael Maginot, who concluded that the family was being tormented by a demonic presence. He came to perform three exorcisms, but the haunting only stopped once the family moved away in 2012.
Many Believe That the Haunting Never Actually Happened
To clarify, the family’s doctor found no evidence of the events the family claimed to have experienced during their visits. He observed no unusual activity or behavior that matched the reports. Furthermore, Joe Nickell, a paranormal investigator, questioned the credibility of the police chief, Charles Austin, due to his supposed belief in the supernatural. Many of Austin’s accounts appeared to be misrepresentations of the initial events and contained some exaggerations. For example, according to Nickell, the girl’s floating was likely caused by her jumping upward, while the boy climbing the wall was facilitated by his grandmother holding his hand, making the feat seem easier for him.
Furthermore, it was noted that the house’s owner had never received such reports before and even argued that the supernatural accusations served as a pretext for late or unpaid rent. However, following the family’s departure and subsequent demolition of the house, the new tenant didn’t report experiencing similar events. Skepticism grew further when the children were evaluated by psychologists who suggested their behaviors aligned more with their mother’s beliefs, while one expert even stated that the youngest son exhibited signs of being “possessed” at certain instances.
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2024-09-07 01:01