Lee Daniels ‘ first-ever horror effort, “ The Deliverance ,” is not to be confused with 1972’s “Deliverance.” Although, much like John Boorman’s three-time Oscar nominee about idiot canoers going through hell in rural Georgia, it does make movie-watching pretty painful. Not since “Hillbilly Elegy” has Netflix done Glenn Close so dirty.
That’s true even taking into account her small part in the hugely horrible “Heart of Stone” for the streamer last year. “The Deliverance” director Daniels, an ambitious storyteller with an admirably spotty track record, is best known for creating the TV show “Empire” with Danny Strong and, before that, helming the Sundance darling “Precious,” (which, yes, is based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire — thank you so much for remembering). Back in 2009, Daniels’ talents as a producer on 2001’s “Monster’s Ball” preceded the success of his eventual Best Picture contender, “Precious,” but the bleak family drama about a Black family living in Harlem is what turned him into a celebrated director.
His gritty portrait of a relentlessly abused 16-year-old (Gabourey Sidibe) was dark, violent, and hard to take. Daniels’ approach to creating cinematic realism had its detractors, but bold visions make great directors. Those talents are still very much alive in Daniels, who has earned the right as a filmmaker to recruit singular acting titans like Close, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and Mo’Nique (from “Precio.