Aahana Swrup
The Deliverance, Lee Daniels’s tense horror thriller film, revolves around a peculiar house that has a drastically negative effect on the new renters that move in. Ebony Jackson, a single mother struggling to make ends meet, has enough on her plate with three kids and a complicated relationship with Alberta, her mother. Therefore, she can hardly find the time to fix mundane issues such as the rancid smell in her new house’s basement or the regular thumping in the walls and doors at night. Nonetheless, once her kids begin showcasing unstable actions and lapses in their memories—with her youngest, Andre, talking to shadows in the closet—Ebony can’t help but wonder if something more sinister lies under the house’s foundation.
The film sports a suspenseful turn as the narrative gradually compels viewers to wonder if the Jackson family’s problems are purely psychological or if demonic forces are truly at play. Consequently, the story mixes more classically horror themes of possessions and exorcism with mystery-driven elements. Naturally, fans may find themselves eager to discover similar horror watches in the aftermath of the Jackson family’s resolution. If you’re looking for the same, we’ve curated a list featuring horror movies like ‘The Deliverance’ that you might enjoy.
10. Night Swim (2024)
Directed by Bryce McGuire, ‘Night Swim’ is a supernatural thriller film where a classic haunted house is swapped out for a haunted swimming pool. Ray Waller, a former baseball player, helms the storyline as he’s forced into early retirement due to medical complications. Consequently, in starting his life anew, Ray moves into a new home with his wife and two kids. Soon after the move, Ray finds himself taken by the swimming pool in the residence’s backyard, which seems to hold unfathomable secrets in its depth.
However, as the pool’s hold over the family grows, darkness seeps into their lives. Like ‘The Deliverance’ and its basement of horrors, this film also finds a family stuck in the jaws of a haunted spirit whose powers emerge from within their home. Consequently, the films inevitably end up sharing themes of cryptic possessions with extensive lore behind them.
9. The Reading (2023)
Courtney Glaude’s ‘The Reading’ presents an unexpected horror drama that centers around well-kept secrets of the past. The film’s protagonist, Emma Leeden, is a successful writer who turned her past trauma into a bestselling novel by sharing the story of her survival in a home invasion that killed the rest of her family. While promoting the same work, she agrees to participate in a spiritual reading conducted by Sky Brown and her friends.
While the author expects the reading to be a sham, she finds herself in for a surprise as Sky’s connection to the undead turns out to be real. However, as phantoms of the past emerge, they bring a horrifying discovery with them that endangers the lives of everyone inside the cursed house. If you enjoyed the uncertain build-up in ‘The Deliverance,’ as it takes characters through unsettling skepticism before throwing them into a whirlwind of supernatural horror, then this film is for you!
8. The Orphanage (2007)
J.A. Bayona’s Spanish horror film, ‘The Orphanage,’ brings another haunted house tale, where a mother’s love for her child ends up spelling out a doomed demise. Laura dreams of turning the orphanage where she grew up into a home for sick children. Therefore, she moves her family into the house once she convinces her husband to buy the place for her. Yet, once the family moves into the orphanage, Laura’s young son Simón, who is fighting a deadly illness, goes missing. As the months pass, the boy is assumed dead, shattering Laura’s world. However, aid arrives from an unpredictable source as Laura begins hearing voices from the dead and departed, who seem to be eager to lend their help.
The film’s focus on the central mother-son relationship ties ‘The Orphanage’ to ‘The Deliverance’ through crucial emotional themes. Additionally, the ghostly nature of its central location will appeal to fans who enjoyed the other-worldly Jackson residence in the latter film.
7. Lake Mungo (2008)
Directed by Joel Anderson, the found-footage film ‘Lake Mungo’ is a captivating addition to the niche genre of horror films that focus on a mysterious haunted house. The story revolves around Alice Palmer, a teenage girl who meets a fatal end after a drowning accident. However, after her body’s discovery, her family begins witnessing strange occurrences around the house. Things take an eerie turn after her brother, Matthew, sets up various cameras around the house and captures footage of what seems to be his sister’s apparition hovering from the other side of the afterlife.
Consequently, deeply disturbed and confounded, the Palmers hire a parapsychologist, Ray Kemeny, who unearths Alice’s secret double life before her tragic death. Like ‘The Deliverance,’ ‘Lake Mungo’ charts an increasingly uncanny tale, almost entirely set inside a house haunted by its own catastrophic past. Additionally, the perpetual mystery surrounding Alice’s death compels the narrative to question its own supernatural themes in a similar fashion as the former film.
6. The Rite (2011)
‘The Rite,’ directed by Mikael Håfström, finds itself in the same ballpark as ‘The Deliverance’ by being another exorcism movie that was inspired by a true story. The film follows Michael Kovak, a young seminary student with a shaky faith, who leaves the States to attend an exorcism school in Italy. During his studies, he meets Father Lucas Trevant, an unorthodox priest who uses unconventional methods and has performed over a thousand exorcisms.
As Michael accompanies Trevant in his work, encountering impossible sights through demonic possessions, his beliefs are inevitably challenged. Michael’s character and his initial skepticism of the supernatural, even in the face of actual suffering, will remain reminiscent of Ebony Jackson and her experiences at her haunted house. Consequently, if you’re a fan of exorcism movies, ‘The Rite’ will prove to be an excellent choice.
5. The Offering (2022)
Oliver Park’s ‘The Offering’ blends themes of family and demon possession in a way that ‘The Deliverance’ fans may enjoy. The film follows a young expecting couple, Arthur and Claire, who visit the former’s father, a Hasidic funeral director, in hopes of reconciliation over past grudges. However, as a new dead body moves through the family morgue, it brings along a menacing presence that begins haunting the family’s every waking hour. As certain truths come out in the open, revealing the demon’s identity, Claire and her unborn child face an uncertain future.
This film excels at navigating through family drama in the middle of a supernatural crisis, in the same way that ‘The Deliverance’ handles the Jackson family’s predicament. Furthermore, it also brings something new to the exorcism horror genre through its Jewish mysticism lore, which fans of the latter film will enjoy.
4. The Exorcism (2024)
‘The Exorcism,’ directed by Joshua John Miller, presents a fascinatingly meta take on a classic demon possession film by centering its narrative around a horror movie set that seems to be cursed with evil spirits. The protagonist, Anthony Miller, is a has-been actor and a single father recovering from his past addiction and trying to mend his broken relationship with Lee, his daughter. Consequently, after the lead role in an upcoming, promising film opens up—due to a tragic accident—Anthony finds the opportunity of a lifetime to reignite his career.
Nevertheless, once Anthony starts on the project, something dark takes over him, leading Lee to wonder if her father’s personal demons have returned—or if it’s something much more biblically haunted. This film’s storyline features an undercurrent of a psychological thriller similar to that of ‘The Deliverance,’ which encourages people to question the reality of their characters’ situations. This, paired with its bone-chilling demonic themes, makes ‘The Exorcism’ an ideal next watch.
3. The Possession (2012)
Sporting loose inspiration in real life, ‘The Possession,’ directed by Ole Bornedal, follows the narrative of a young girl who falls victim to the wickedness of a mysterious evil box. Amid her parents, Clyde and Stephanie’s divorce, Emily, a 10-year-old girl, finds an ancient box in a yard and promptly becomes obsessed with the new trinket. While her parents see no immediate cause for concern, Emily grows concerningly unstable over the next few days.
Therefore, as the girl begins acting strange—going as far as to stab Clyde’s hand with a fork in rage—her family can’t help but wonder if she has brought something evil into their lives. After reaching out to Professor McMannis, Clyde discovers the horrifying truth about his daughter’s dreadful box. ‘The Possession’ presents an entertaining story within its genre while also paralleling ‘The Deliverance’ through complicated family dynamics and the entrapment of a young child’s fate. Thus, this film might prove to be a worthy addition to the watchlists of fans of the latter film.
2. Don’t Listen (2020)
The Spanish horror film by Ángel Gómez Hernández, ‘Don’t Listen,’ also known as ‘Voces,’ shares ‘The Deliverance’s’ base premise of a family unwittingly moving into a house of horrors. Shortly after Daniel and Sara move into their new home, their 8-year-old son, Eric, begins hearing strange whispers around the house. Even though his experiences get written off to the kid’s unstable imagination, Daniel can’t help but question the same once he himself falls victim to the noises. Thus, as parapsychologist Germán and his daughter Ruth arrive on the scene to conduct their investigation, Daniel and his family finally learn why their house is known as the “house of the voices’ around the neighborhood.
‘Don’t Listen’ possesses all the elements that shape up the narrative of ‘The Deliverance,’ from a haunted house and a skeptical crowd to a struggling family at the center. Furthermore, Eric’s predicament in this film will undoubtedly remind viewers of young Andre and his own run-in with the supernatural. Therefore, this film might suit your taste if you’re looking for a similar watch with a distinct storyline.
1. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
If you’re intrigued by horror films that possess impossible roots in real life and force viewers to question reality, you are bound to enjoy Scott Derrickson’s ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose.’ Emily Rose, a young girl suspected of being possessed by an evil spirit, dies after Father Moore performs an exorcism on her. As a result, in the aftermath of her death, attorney Ethan Thomas blames the priest for the girl’s death, claiming her schizophrenia was misdiagnosed as a possession.
Consequently, accused of negligent homicide, Moore must defend his actions and prove the reality of demonic influence over Emily. Although the story employs themes of a legal drama, it still remains ripe with demonic horror as it recounts the unbelievable story of Emily Rose. The film shares an inherent connection with ‘The Deliverance,’ as both exorcism movies find a basis in real-life horror and the skepticism that follows.
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