If you’re a fan of The Amityville Horror or The Exorcism films, Netflix’s 2024 horror film, The Deliverance might be for you.

Directed by Academy Award nominee Lee Daniels (Precious, The Butler), the film is loosely based on the chilling real-life story of Latoya Ammons, whose family reportedly experienced demonic possessions and supernatural occurrences within their home. 

The female-led film stars a handful of Academy Award nominees and winners including Andra Day, Glenn Close, Mo’Nique, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and other notable stars such as Caleb McLaughlin and Omar Epps. Day plays the role of Ebony Jackson, a character inspired by Latoya Ammons, a struggling mother of three.

After moving into a new Indiana home, Jackson and her family experience supernatural events such as a dead cat randomly appearing in the basement, mysterious holes in the walls, crucifixes aflame, and the children climbing up walls backward, Regan MacNeil style. When Jackson’s children are taken into custody, she realizes she must perform an exorcism to save the family from the evil demon who has taken over their lives. 

The Terrifying True Story

But what is the real-life story? And what happened to the real Latoya Ammons? It all started in November 2011, when Latoya Ammons moved with her mother and three children into a small home in Gary, Indiana. Ammons and her mother, Rosa Campbell, reportedly heard footsteps and mysterious noises throughout the house during the night. Campbell also saw a shadowy figure in their family living room. But these were only minor incidents reported by the family. Ammons said that she witnessed her children levitate and speak in demonic voices as if they were possessed by otherworldly spirits. She even ended up holding an exorcism for her son. 

After just six months of living in their new home, Ammons and her family moved to Indianapolis and no longer experienced any hauntings. The original house was purchased by Zak Bagans, the star and host of Ghost Adventures, for the filming of a documentary but was eventually torn down. Director Lee Daniels met with the real “Ebony” before filming, describing her as “lovely” and that she was “at peace” following her harrowing story. 

Daniels Looks to Tackle Familial Issues 

Although stuck with some campy dialogue and shifting genre tones, the highlight of The Deliverance is the performances by the leading ladies: Andra Day, Glenn Close, and Mo’Nique. Day captures the essence of Ebony Jackson, a flawed yet deeply caring mother looking to keep custody of her children. With the award-winning actresses, the film works best as a family drama depicting the relationship between this struggling, yet take-no-shit mother of three and her family. Daniels focuses heavily on Jackson’s relationship with her alcoholic mother (Glenn Close), along with generational trauma, abuse, and poverty. 

In an interview with Forbes, Daniels discussed the role of race and gender in the film saying, “What I’ve changed a little bit is I made her mother white because I have so many mixed-race friends and [I wanted to talk about] what it’s like to have a white mother and live in a Black girl’s body. And the deliverance person was actually a guy and not a girl. But there are so many women that do this work too, that don’t get recognized.” While the film might place an overreliance on jump scares, it does attempt to tackle some of the tougher issues of race, gender, and class. 

In the wake of other famous paranormal cases such as The Amityville Horror, which is widely believed to be a hoax, Ammons’ story has faced its share of skepticism. However, The Deliverance and its captivating real-life story are sure to leave audiences unnerved by the thought of evil demons possessing their homes.