The Chilling True Story That Inspired Netflix's Possession Movie 'The Deliverance'

Lee Daniel's all-time favorite movie is The Exorcist but when he set out to create his own possession film his mother had serious reservations after the success of his 2009 breakthrough precious the Oscar nominated director wanted to bring the chilling true story of Latoya Ammons to the big screen Ammons claimed that her children had been tormented by demons but Daniel's Mother wasn't on board you put your soul into your work and Spirits can latch onto you I don't want you to do this film she warned him as Daniels shared with USA Today although Daniels moved on to other projects like the Butler and the TV series Empire the bizarre and unsettling tale of Ammons never left his mind her story which even swayed Skeptics in real life became the inspiration for Daniel's new movie The Deliverance now streaming on Netflix I believe we're living in Dark Times Daniel says instead of crafting a typical horror film he aimed to create a faith-based thriller that would encourage viewers to connect with a higher power whether it's Buddha Allah Jesus Christ or learning to love yourself more we all need to find peace tomorrow isn't guaranteed in the Deliverance Daniels intertwines the Eerie elements of ammon's story with a broader exploration of personal and familial demons the film centers on ebony played by Andre day a struggling black mother dealing with her own inner turmoil and the supernatural Horrors that plague her family the real life or deal began for Ammon with a swarm of black flies in her rented home followed by mysterious noises and sightings of a shadowy figure similarly the Deliverance starts with seemingly harmless disturbances like bugs and strange odors escalating to far more terrifying events but before diving into the horror Daniels dedicates time to exploring the dysfunctional relationships within Ebony's family including her strained bond with her alcoholic mother Alberta Glen Close that was a challenge for Netflix initially Daniels recalls they wanted more jump scares but that's not my style the story needed to be grounded for him it was essential to explore the complexities of abuse and the generational dysfunction within Ebony's family you think it's going to be like Precious but then it takes a turn in the film Ebony's youngest son Andre Anthony B Jenkins is the first to exhibit signs of possession followed by his older siblings Nate Caleb mclin and Shante Demi Singleton as strange and violent incidents unfold the children are hospitalized echoing real life events reported by Ammons one of the most unsettling scenes in the movie where Andre crawls up a hospital wall backward was inspired by actual testimony in real life a nurse a family case manager and ammon's own mother witnessed her 7-year-old grandson do something similar not only did they see it but the social worker who was trying to take the the kids from the mother testified to the judge that this actually happened Daniel says you can't make that up child services investigated Ammons for possible abuse or neglect and while she was found to be mentally sound her children were taken away we'd already been through so much and fought so hard for our lives amons told the Indianapolis Star in 2014 this heartbreaking battle is poignantly depicted in the Deliverance it's a reality says Daniels who has firsthand experience raising his brother's children so many children are taken from their families sometimes for the right reasons sometimes not in this case it wasn't Justified she's fighting the system for her kids while also battling the demon in her house it's a unique story because it's real for the film Daniels changed names in locations ammon's demon house was in Gary Indiana while Ebony's family is set in Pittsburgh casting Glen close as Alberta a white woman also deviated from reality I wanted to give voice to people who aren't often seen Daniels explains there are so many white women like Alberta that I knew growing up and I wanted to pay homage to that many African-Americans will see and relate to this character eony eventually receives help from the Reverend Bernice James anenu Ellis Taylor a Deliverance Minister who cleanses people and places of evil spirits while ammon's real life deliverer was a man Daniels wanted to work with Taylor and reflect the reality that many women perform this role though a scene with a Catholic Exorcist was cut from the film Daniels points out that Ammon consulted various healers including one initially skeptical of ammon's story Daniels was convinced after speaking with her and doing his own research his mother also shared her own Eerie experiences this stuff happens and it's unsettling he says to ensure safety onet Daniels had a deliver present daily mindful of the strange occurrences reported during the making of films like Poltergeist and The Exorcist as he puts it not today Satan