Netflix’s The Deliverance is struggling to satisfy its critics. Inspired by a real-world haunting in Gary, Indiana, the movie follows Andra Day as Ebony Jackson as she works to keep her family together while facing the horror of demonic possession. The Deliverance boasts a stellar cast, which includes Day, Oscar-nominee Glenn Close, fellow nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin. Unfortunately, it has not enjoyed much love from its viewers.
The Deliverance has seen nothing but disappointment on Rotten Tomatoes. It sits at a 34% score on the Tomatometer and a 53% score on the audience-led Popcornmeter. Both scores have earned it Rotten designations, as the majority of viewers were displeased by the story. Reviewers cite a painfully slow pace, a clichéd narrative, and the melodramatic characters as explanations for their poor reviews.
Why Are The Deliverance’s Reviews So Bad?
The Deliverance Is Not Especially Original
Demonic possession horror movies are frighteningly common. They have been a cornerstone of the genre since The Exorcist was released in 1973. Since then, there have been five sequels for the franchise that generally all tread the same simple narrative of a demonic possession driving terror. Child possession is also an established norm, as well as the trope of a family moving into a new home before discovering that it is haunted. Every single one of those elements has been featured in horror movies for decades, and none of them offers anything fresh or new.
This movie possesses all of those tropes and more, and it never truly subverts them in any substantial way. It has an acclaimed cast, but that does not save it from a formulaic story that never does anything fresh with its characters. That would be acceptable if executed brilliantly, but it instead fails to leave its mark. It attempts to stand out by tying itself to the real-world Ammons haunting, which became a widespread story to frighten new homeowners. Unfortunately, the movie was released a decade too late to capitalize on the haunting, which took place in 2011.
While The Deliverance‘s poor reviews are a symptom of its relatively simple concept, it may also be a sign that audiences are no longer interested in taking the same path time and time again. Just as viewers are shying away from theaters when movies are not outstanding, audiences are looking for quality content. This movie attempts to be both a horror movie and a story about a dysfunctional family, but it fails to balance those sides adequately. The Deliverance may be an interesting concept, but it has been done before and offers nothing especially inventive.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
