The movie The Deliverance tells a chilling story based on the real-life experiences of the Ammons family, who faced a frightening ordeal of demonic possession in their home in Gary, Indiana. Directed by Lee Daniels, the film was released in a few theaters before streaming on Netflix, and it dramatizes this haunting event, which first gained public attention in 2011.
The real story begins when Latoya Ammons, her mother Rosa Campbell, and her three children moved into a rental home on Carolina Street in Gary. Almost immediately, strange and disturbing things started happening. Despite the cold December weather, the family noticed swarms of black flies gathering on their screened-in porch. No matter how many times they killed the flies, they kept coming back—a sign that something was very wrong.
Over time, the incidents became more unusual and terrifying. Ammons reported that her children, aged 7, 9, and 12, began to levitate, speak in strange voices, and were thrown across rooms by unseen forces. The situation became so serious that local authorities, including the Gary Police Department and Indiana’s Department of Child Services (DCS), got involved. Medical professionals and social workers also witnessed some of these strange events, which supported Ammons’ claims.
However, not everyone believed the haunting was real. In April 2012, someone filed a complaint with DCS, suggesting that Ammons might have mental health issues and that her children were acting out under her influence. This led to the children being taken into temporary custody while the investigation continued. Psychologists who evaluated the children found their stories inconsistent and thought the children might have been influenced by their mother’s beliefs.
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In a desperate attempt to rid her family of the supposed demonic presence, Ammons turned to Reverend Michael Maginot of St. Stephen, Martyr parish in Merrillville, Indiana. He performed three major exorcisms on Ammons, and after she moved to a new home and followed the DCS’s plan, she was eventually reunited with her children. The infamous house on Carolina Street was later demolished as part of a documentary on the case.
In The Deliverance, the story takes on new aspects. Andra Day plays Ebony Jackson, a fictional version of Latoya Ammons. The film explores the horrors faced by the family but also introduces elements that differ from the real events. For example, Daniels chose to change certain parts of the story, like making the mother character white to explore the dynamics of a mixed-race family, and changing the exorcist from a male priest to a female reverend played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. The movie also changes the exorcism location from a church to the family’s home, calling it a “deliverance,” a ritual that focuses not just on casting out demons but on transforming the person’s spiritual life.
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Daniels approached the film not just as a horror story but as a “faith-based thriller,” aiming to reconnect viewers with their faith, regardless of their religious background. He said the film was meant to reflect the tough times we live in and the need to find hope and strength in faith. Though the movie takes creative liberties, it stays rooted in the frightening experiences of the Ammons family, offering a gripping tale of fear, faith, and survival.
Conclusion
The story of the Ammons family, both in real life and as shown in The Deliverance, is a powerful look at the connection between fear, faith, and the unknown. While the terrifying events they went through may be debated—whether as signs of supernatural forces or as a sad result of psychological distress—their experience undeniably touches on deeper themes of belief, desperation, and the lengths a family will go to protect one another.
The Deliverance not only dramatizes these events but also invites viewers to think about the nature of faith in the face of unimaginable darkness. Through the lens of horror, the film captures the essence of a struggle that is both deeply personal and universally relatable: the battle to overcome evil, however it may appear, and to find redemption in the process. Ultimately, the story reminds us of the enduring human spirit, the mysteries that lie beyond our understanding, and the hope that can emerge even in the most harrowing circumstances.
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