Netflix Hit Demonic Horror Based On Shocking True Story
Deliverance has found an audience on Netflix, delivering scares based on a real-life story. It loosely adapts reports of the Ammons family haunting, a possession story that gained national attention in the 2010s and spawned a well-known documentary. While the movie failed to impress critics, it’s another hit for the streaming platform, becoming the number one movie.
A Demon Hiding Behind Everyday Problems
The Netflix horror movie follows the traditional haunted house formula, with the Jackson family moving into a new home, bringing supernatural evil into their lives. The Deliverance is complicated by the family’s issues with addiction, abuse, poverty, and medical issues. These mundane problems work to hide the demonic spirit that slowly gains more and more power over the Jackson family.
Part of The Deliverance finding so much success on Netflix may be due to the notoriety of the real-life story it’s based on. The Ammons family haunting, or Demon House case, was an alleged series of supernatural incidents in 2011. After moving into a new home in Gary, Indiana, the Ammons family claims they were plagued by spectral visions, strange sounds, and eventually demonic possession in the house.
Based On A Real Haunting In Indiana
The haunting that inspired The Deliverance gained national attention after the 2018 documentary Demon House was released. The documentary shot new footage in the house and retold the Ammons family’s stories of children climbing walls and floating in the night. Both the documentary and the accounts of the Ammon family have been divisive, with some calling the entire case a hoax.
From An Accomplished Dramatic Director
Lee Daniels, best known as the director of Precious and co-creator of Empire, directs a fantastic cast for Netflix in The Deliverance. Andra Day, Glenn Close, Caleb McLaughlin, and Mo’Nique all play major roles in the movie, and they are joined by child actors Anthony B. Jenkins and Demi Singleton. The supporting cast adds established actors like Omar Epps, Angelique Ellis-Taylor, Colleen Smith, and Tasha Smith.
A Surprise Streaming Hit
While The Deliverance may be a hit for Netflix, it was poorly received on release. The movie had a brief, unremarkable theatrical release on August 16 before coming to the streaming service on August 30. It failed to impress critics, earning a 34 percent on Rotten Tomatoes with a slightly higher audience score.
There was some tension between Lee Daniels and Netflix during the production of The Deliverance. The director admitted that the company pushed him to add more supernatural tension to the movie, while he wanted to focus more on the movie’s abuse theme. Daniels made the concessions the streaming giant requested and described it as necessary in modern filmmaking.
Available Only On Netflix
With a stellar cast, acclaimed director, and well-known true story to build on it’s unsurprising that The Deliverance is the top movie on Netflix. Despite the movie’s poor reception, it’s found an audience on the streaming service, and it turns out that the audience is large enough to push the film to number one. With Fall coming, The Deliverance could continue to dominate as audiences seek out the movie based on such an infamous real-life scary story.
