After being in development for years, the long-awaited horror film The Deliverance was finally released on Netflix on August 30. The movie’s release is surprising, considering director Lee Daniels initially raised concerns about working on the project. The film’s Black-led cast was also originally helmed by Octavia Spencer, but she left the project and was replaced by Mo’Nique.
Initially titled Demon House, the film is based on the real-life story of the Ammons family, whose home in Gary, Indiana was the site of alleged hauntings and demonic possessions in 2011. Daniels takes a more sensationalized approach to the real-life case; however, most of the film’s details are drawn directly from the case notes. The movie’s demonic possession narrative has been compared to movies like The Conjuring and The Exorcist. This article will lay out the facts of both the real and fictional cases of The Deliverance.
The Backstory Behind The Deliverance
The Deliverance tells the story of Latoya Ammons (called Ebony Jackson in the movie), her mom Rosa Campbell, and her three kids, who move into a new home for a fresh start. Soon, strange and unsettling events start unfolding in the new house; for example, the family reports that black flies keep swarming the porch in December and return even after being exterminated.
It doesn’t stop there: Rosa Campbell, played by Glenn Close, claims to hear footsteps in the basement and witnesses a strange figure pacing in the living room. She also claims that she was being choked by an unseen force at one point. Ammons’ 12-year-old daughter levitates above her bed but comes back down once the family prays, her older son is thrown across the room, and the younger son appears possessed and threatens murder. These strange events catch the attention of Child Protective Services and threaten to tear the family apart. Ebony soon finds herself battling dark forces as she fights to protect her children. Netflix has quite a load of horror films, including The Deliverance.
The Ammons Family’s Haunting Case
Also known as the “Demon House,” the Ammons haunting case began after the family alleged instances of demonic and dark possession in their house. The family sought help from their physician to cope with the paranormal activity; however, the physician did not believe that the hauntings were happening since he didn’t witness any of the reported activity or behavior. He noted that the family was “delusional.” The family then sought an exorcism from Father Michael Maginot, who concluded that a demonic entity was tormenting the family. Father Maginot performed three exorcisms until the family moved away in 2012.
Police Chief Charles Austin did believe in the supernatural and was more supportive of the family’s claims; however, paranormal investigator Joe Nickell said that Austin’s reports weren’t reliable. The Indiana Department of Children’s Services, meanwhile, reported that the kids were just performing for their mom.
Nickell’s interviews with the family exposed some exaggerations and misreporting of events. For example, interviewees explained that the daughter “levitated” on the bed by throwing herself upward, while one of the sons only walked up the wall with the help of his grandmother. Moreover, the house’s landlord didn’t previously hear any similar reports of demonic activity and even claimed the demonic events were a cover-up for missing rent payments.
Conclusion
Even though the home was purchased and destroyed afterward, the tenant who moved in after the Ammons family didn’t report the same strange occurrences. There was more skepticism when the kids claimed that they acted according to their mom’s beliefs when they were interviewed by psychologists.
Latoya regained custody of her children in November 2012, and the family moved out of the house soon after. Since then, there hasn’t been any report of hauntings. What actually happened to the Ammons family may never be uncovered, but the story has attracted the interest of many, including Daniels. The Deliverance, directed by Lee Daniels, is available to stream on Netflix.
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