"The Deliverance" was released to Netflix on August 30 and is full of spirits and demons. It is an interesting take on a movie based on an exorcism of a spirit. This movie features Andra Day as Ebony and Glenn Close as Morgan. The film is based on a true story which makes it more creepy.
The film is about a family living in Indiana, the mother Ebony moves her children into a new home. This home turns out to be full of evil spirits that are targeting the youngest child Andre (Anthony B. Jenkins). The movie has aspects of drama that Ebony surrounds. She almost lost custody of her children due to neglect and drinking. Cynthia (Mo’Nique) the social worker checks on her and her children for most of the film.
Highs
The highs in this movie are minimal. It is mainly centralized around the performances of the actors. The acting of Ebony was good, showing the emotion of a caring but struggling single mother. There were elements of comical humor that helped ease the tension between the mother and children. The acting of Glenn Close as Morgan was entertaining considering she was the more blunt grandma. This gives the movie the humorous aspect that was needed in the household. Another highlight of the film is the makeup of the possession of Andre. It is detailed and creepy which completes the look of a demon.
Lows
The lows within the film are that the plot is confusing. It has to do with the children becoming possessed but the abuse from the mother was unnecessary. It showed that the mother was not paying attention to her children. It was filled with abuse and neglect from the beginning. This takes away from the plot of focusing on the evil spirits.
Another low was that Ebony seemed clueless because of how drunk she became all the time. She was distracted and did not notice her children were being possessed. On the other hand, the grandma would protect the children but not correct her daughter. Grandma would make things worse for the children instead of better.
Ebony opposes her mother for an undisclosed reason, which makes the background of the film poor. For unclear reasons, the father is likewise not present in the lives of the children. More background context would have helped to explain why Ebony was distressed.
The exorcism part of the movie was missing something. Some scenes are reminiscent of the original movie "Exorcism." This could show the movie’s inspiration but it was not performed well. It was missing the aspect of the evil spirit becoming very alive.
Verdict
"The Deliverance" is not worth the watch considering elements are missing from making it a true exorcism movie. If there wasn’t as much tension and drama throughout, it could’ve been more focused on the evil spirits.
Rating: 4.5 out of 10
