“The Deliverance” Netflix Horror Bites the Dust

Key Takeaways:
1. Oscar-nominated director Lee Daniels applies a cliched approach to horror in “The Deliverance.”
2. Stellar performances from the cast, especially Andra Day as the mother, Ebony, add depth to an otherwise generic story.
3. Despite a promising start, the film devolves into a chaotic mess by the end.
4. The overreliance on familiar horror tropes results in a lackluster storyline offering nothing new.
5. Overall, “The Deliverance” has been labeled absurdly average, streaming on Netflix from August 30, 2024.

Let's chat about Netflix's latest horror movie, “The Deliverance.” If you've got chills trembling down your spine just thinking about it, hold onto your popcorn — this ride is milder than you might expect.

Now, Netflix horror can be a bit of a coin toss. It's like expecting a delicious chocolate sundae and getting awfully close to biting a Brussels sprout instead. We had high expectations, especially since the movie is directed by none other than Lee Daniels, an Oscar-nominated director. Sadly, the candy floss lost its appeal too quickly.

The haunting plot is one we've all seen before. Imagine the original Poltergeist, but dress it in slightly different clothes and boom — you got “The Deliverance.” Here, an Indiana family grapples with eerie events happening at home. Yes, you guessed it right — the house may just be a portal to hell. While the idea is neat, it seems to run on exhausted legs, having been a standard plot device in several horror classics.

However, the performances managed to somewhat save the sinking ship. Andra Day, in her role as Ebony, shines brightly. She plays the neglectful mother figure, grappling with alcohol issues. And you know what? She aces it. Her nuanced performance added a touch of class to the otherwise run-of-the-mill storyline.

Likewise, Glenn Close slips into the skin of Alberta, Ebony's mother. She faces her battles, fighting a war with cancer that shows her at her most vulnerable yet robust. Close's performance is as mesmerizing as a bonfire on a frigid winter's night — you can't help but get entranced.

Yet, the rest of the cast seems to sink into the background. Caleb McLaughlin of Stranger Things fame is underused, and Mo'Nique's case worker, though having an impactful monologue, stays primarily stereotypical. It's like watching your favorite ice cream melt before you can even take a bite — a shame.

As we move deeper into the film, “The Deliverance” ups the eerie factor. However, it starts to look less like a family's struggle and feels more like a Hollywood movie set. There's even an all-knowing exorcist lady who manages to pull answers to the haunting troubles out of thin air.

By the end, things take a drastic turn. The haunting becomes grotesque, and the CGI effects rip through the essence of realism. The film attempts to deliver a profound message about alcoholism's destructive nature, but it drowns beneath a hotchpotch of cliches.

In all fairness, “The Deliverance” does carry a certain appeal at the start. It introduces an alcoholic mother and offers an authentic range of responses from her kids. This in itself could have taken the film down an engaging path. However, it loses that initial appeal and descends into a whirl of unrealism, laced with cliched horror tropes.

In summary, if you're seeking fresh ideas in a horror flick, you might feel let down by “The Deliverance.” Despite a hearty attempt to breathe life into a cliched genre, the film falls short of achieving anything exceptional. But don't just take my word for it; catch it streaming on Netflix from August 30, 2024. Even if it doesn't frighten you, it still might prove to be an entertaining watch.