What’s good y'all?
So… let’s talk about the movie ‘Deliverance’. If you haven’t been on social media lately to hear the latest buzz about the horror movie, ‘Deliverance’, don't worry, I got you! First, let me start by saying I am a huge fan of the horror genre. While some critics may have a disdain for the genre, treating it like an unwanted step-child, I love the multiple directions horror can take. Slasher horror films are no longer my thing, but it is something about horror movies involving hauntings and possessions that just do it for me. Maybe it's because I do believe in those sorts of things or maybe it's because one of my favorite childhood memories is when my mom introduced me to the movie ‘Pet Cemetary’ at the age of six, but whatever the reason, I have a deep love and infinite respect for horror films.
With my love for horror, I tend to stumble upon various hauntings that may have or may not have happened in real life. And by stumble, I mean somehow Google has detected that I am a horror obsessed freak and therefore I now receive articles or posts suggested to me about hauntings…. so there’s that lol! When I first heard about the movie ‘Deliverance’ and that it is based on true events, I knew the story sounded familiar and that I had read it a few years
Before the movie was available to stream, I reread it again to refresh my memory. See, it’s really important that we support our local news because the IndyStar was the first to put this phenomenon on the map in 2014. The article
is an unbelievable read and because of this little refresher, I became a stickler for movie accuracy. I hate when I do that to myself however, as the inaccuracy was not the only issue I found with this film.
‘Deliverance’, directed by Lee Daniels and written by David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum, had a star-studded cast. The movie included icon Glenn Close, as well as Andra Day, Mo’Nique, Omar Epps and Caleb McLaughlin. The casting itself threw me off. It's Hollywood, so I understand tapping into names that people will be drawn to, but I don’t always think that’s necessary for stories based upon true events. This especially pertains to this cast. Now if you haven’t watched the movie, I suggest you stop reading and check it out. Spoilers lie ahead, you’ve been warned.
ago.
Andra Day portrays the mother, Latoya Ammons, and Glenn Close portrays her mother. The storyline is based around a single, biracial mother struggling to provide for her three kids, while dealing with her cancer-riddled mother and her own alcoholism. While the family deals with in-home conflicts, there are also outside conflicts. These consist of the neighborhood they live in and problems with social services. Mo’Nique portrays the social worker who checks in on the family. Part of what bothered me most about this portrayal is that you couldn’t tell if the family was actually being haunted by the house or if it seems that way because of the family’s internal issues. Within the news article discussing the real life events, it never discussed Latoya having issues with alcoholism. From the beginning of the article, Latoya proclaimed that her house was haunted by evil spirits and they were possessing her family. Although she was adamant about the hauntings, authorities and social services believed she was mentally unwell until they too witnessed it for themselves.
Another aspect of the film I took issue with was the conflict that was portrayed between Latoya and her mother and the racial route the story highlighted. Glenn Close plays the white mother of Latoya. Through their dialogue, you can tell that they have some underlying issues. One of them being that Latoya doesn't feel like her mother understands her black woman problems. In the real story, the entire family is black and this isn't an issue. While the movie does address that Latoya could not afford to move from the home and the source of evil, it never discussed the deep issues she had going on within her life. Personally, I was annoyed and bothered by assigning the classic Hollywood Black Woman troupe.
How many times do black women have to be seen as poor and dysfunctional? Don’t get me wrong, Andra Day acted her ass off. However, it bothered me that they portrayed her as another black woman that is broken and abusive, when the truth is she was genuinely crying out for help due to her belief that her family was possessed. It’s as if Lee Daniel’s was the only one who didn’t watch ‘The Conjuring.’ I love black horror so much, but for this to be another horror film in a different form is what disappointments me most.There was a story here and a real chance to capture it. A huge opportunity was lost with such an amazing cast and I feel like I wasted an hour and 52 mins of my time. Listen, I know what you’re going to say, “This is Hollywood, they don’t go by the book,” I KNOW! However as black storytellers, we have a duty and an obligation to tell our stories and not just from a single lens. Possession, in itself, is already a sore subject. Movies about it seem to provide even more of a cry baby fest for complainers who think they cause harm. This from the lack of religion and an absent relationship with God. That’s neither here nor there, all I’m saying is if we tellin’ our stories, we need to do it right.
So does ‘Deliverance’ deliver? I mean for me…no, but from the consensus on social media, I’m seeing mixed reviews. While some found the movie to be a comedic satire, others genuinely enjoyed the plot and scare, and then, of course, those who claim to be super religious denounced the film altogether (Insert eyerolls here.) Alas, those like me, thought the movie was poor taste, poor judgment, and poor representation.
No matter your thoughts, I am so happy to see Andra Day acting and I sure do hope she gets more roles! I’m also glad to see Mo’Nique collaborating with Lee Daniel’s again, it’s cute. Last but certainly not least, it was a joy to see Glenn Close. I am loving acting legends consistently being booked and busy. I mean, who put an age limit on Hollywood anyway! There is a role and place for everyone at every age.
Regardless of my opinion, I still think you should watch the movie. I’m proud that a black film is one of the top ten trending movies streaming on Netflix, as everytime one of us wins, it genuinely opens the door for more of OUR stories. Hopefully next time it will be told a little more responsibly and respectfully.
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