If you’ve seen The Deliverance on Netflix, you may be curious about the real-life events that inspired the film. Surprisingly, the horror movie is closely based on a true story.
If you are a fan of horror films available on streaming services, Netflix has recently released a highly acclaimed movie to end the summer with a bang. The Deliverance centers around a family plagued by a demonic force in their home, resulting in the involvement of social services for the wrong motives.
Featuring Andra Day, Glenn Close, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in lead roles, the film pushes the boundaries of faith-based horror… but not everything depicted is pure fiction.
Similar to many of our beloved horror tales, The Deliverance contains a significant amount of truth. In fact, there is even a separate documentary available for viewing at this very moment.
The Deliverance is a true story based on the Latoya Ammons case
The case of Latoya Ammons, also referred to as the Ammons Hauntings, was the real-life inspiration for The Deliverance, which is shown just before the credits.
At the conclusion of The Deliverance, viewers will see a woman named Latoya Ammons appear before the credits. The film reveals that Ammons’ true-life terror inspired the story, which took place in Gary, Indiana in 2011.
Ammons, just like Ebony and Berta, resided with her mother Rosa and three children, aged seven, nine, and 12 at the time. Shortly after settling into their new home, they reported a constant presence of black flies on their porch, which seemed to reappear even after they had been eliminated.
Despite frequently hearing footsteps, banging, and the routine creaking of the basement door, Rosa also reported sightings of shadowy figures and unknown footprints. Additionally, she alleged that an unknown force had choked her.
The children also recounted bizarre occurrences, such as levitation, but later on they had no memory of these incidents. According to the eldest son, he was allegedly thrown across rooms, while the youngest was overheard uttering phrases such as “It’s time to die”and “I will kill you.”
After observing “delusional”behavior in the children, the family’s physician and the Department of Child Services became involved. This behavior resulted in hospitalizations, similar to what Cynthia had witnessed with Andre. During supervised stays, one child was reported to have been “walking up the wall backward.”
After a period of time, the family sought assistance from Father Michael Maginot, who conducted three exorcisms in the house, with one specifically for Ammons. Upon their relocation in 2012, all unusual occurrences ceased. However, physician Geoffrey Onyeukwu attributed much of the events to “delusions”and “hallucinations,”while external investigators accused the police of being predisposed to believing in the supernatural.
The story of Latoya Ammons gained national and international recognition when it was published in the Indy Star in 2014.
Demon House: The Truth Behind the Documentary
During 2018, Zak Bagans directed a documentary entitled Demon House, which featured his paranormal investigation of the residence where the Ammons Hauntings took place.
Four years later, Bagans, Billy Tolley, and Jay Wasley decided to conduct their own paranormal investigation on the same property where Ammons’ story had first been shared. Bagans, who was the host of Ghost Adventures, purchased the property through a phone call.
Bagans’ initial intention was to confront the “mass hysteria”that engulfed the case during that period, but it didn’t take long for the crew to also experience fear themselves.
During the documentary, Bagans and his team immediately experienced a sense of unease, leading them to bring a former tenant down to the basement. While there, she reported being struck on the leg by something, causing some members of the crew to leave production a few days later.
In an interview with Daily Dead in the same year, he described, “It was as if the house was a virus, a highly infectious virus. We were all affected by it. Some were able to recover, some were able to completely cure it, and others were not.”
The experience caused a number of these professionals to relocate from the state. I continue to struggle with the effects on my eyes, including permanent double vision and crossing. I am still using prism glasses to manage these symptoms.
I opted not to have surgery on either of my eyes. Medical professionals have eliminated the possibility of any neurological issues. It remains a mystery as to why this occurred immediately after my time in the house. Additionally, the sudden organ failure of Dr. Taff cannot be explained. Once you witness and experience these events firsthand, it is natural to feel a sense of submission to them.
Despite their experiences at the house, Bagans was dissuaded from creating a sequel or any new TV shows about it. He claimed to have “destroyed”the property in order to prevent anyone else from setting foot in it.
The house has remained completely empty since 2016, yet the neighbors continue to report unusual events in the area.
How to watch
While The Deliverance can be found on Netflix, Demon House can be watched on Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV+.
Although The Deliverance has been characterized as a horror film with “originality”and “verve,”Demon House received praise for being both entertaining and completely uncensored.
The horror film Deliverance can now be streamed on Netflix. If you’re looking for more frights, be sure to browse the top serial killer documentaries of all time, the best horror movies on Prime Video, and the scariest films from Neon. Additionally, there are plenty of new movies available for streaming this month.
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