Netflix’s The Deliverance walks viewers through a gripping paranormal drama that leaves them looking for more similar horror films. Since The Deliverance is based on a true story, it is a singular film in the horror genre, blending the real-life horrors experienced by a real family with some creative liberties that further elevate its terrors. However, despite this, The Deliverance involves several familiar genre tropes and themes found in many other horror films, making them perfect spiritual follow-ups for the replacements for the Netflix movie.
Directed by Lee Daniels, The Deliverance features a talented cast, including Andra Day, Glenn Close, Caleb McLaughlin, and Mo’Nique. Unfortunately, despite having a brilliant set of actors as its lead, the film has not been able to impress critics and only has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 33%. However, even with the low RT score, The Deliverance has managed to drive good numbers on Netflix, prompting many viewers to look for similar horror films.
10 Pet Sematary
1989
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Stephen King’s Pet Sematary gets one adaptation almost every five years, which is not surprising since the author himself considers it one of his most terrifying novels. While the movie adaptations have not been able to live up to the high standards of storytelling and tension set by the original book, the 1989 Pet Sematary movie remains the most memorable big-screen take on the novel. Pet Sematary does not feature demonic possessions like The Deliverance. However, like The Deliverance, it highlights how far a parent is willing to go to protect their child from evil forces.
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Eager to start afresh, the young doctor, Louis Creed, and his family–his wife, Rachel, their daughter, Ellie, and their two-year-old toddler, Gage–move to their new home in the small rural town of Ludlow, Maine, alarmingly close to a busy highway. However, after the inadvertent death of Rachel’s cherished tomcat in an awful accident, reluctantly, a desperate Louis will take his friendly neighbor’s advice to bury it in an ancient Micmac graveyard: a mystical burial ground imbued with alleged reanimating powers. Now, despite the terrible results and the insistent warnings from a recently deceased, tragedy-stricken Louis has no other choice but to go back to the Indian cemetery, in high hopes that, this time, things will be different. Nevertheless, can the dead truly return from the grave?
Director Mary Lambert Release Date April 21, 1989 Writers Stephen King Cast Dale Midkiff , Denise Crosby , Fred Gwynne , Brad Greenquist , Miko Hughes Runtime 103 Minutes Main Genre Horror Expand
9 Insidious
2010
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Like the central family in The Deliverance, the one in Insidious moves to a new home, unaware of the floodgates of terror it will unleash upon them. Similar to Ebony’s son in The Deliverance, Josh and Renai’s son in Insidious also ends up in an evil force’s grasp, forcing the family to race against time to save their son before it is too late. Although Insidious lacks The Deliverance‘s narrative depth, it is jam-packed with enough well-timed jump scares to keep viewers hooked throughout its runtime. Insidious is also a full-fledged movie franchise that includes a total of five movies.
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When Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) move into a new home, their son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) explores the attic and discovers a malevolent entity. After Dalton slips into an unexplained coma, Josh and Renai enlist the help of spiritual medium Elise (Lin Shaye) to enter the spirit world and recover Dalton’s consciousness, which they believe is being held by an unknown hostile force.
Director James Wan Release Date April 1, 2011 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Sony , Universal Pictures Writers Leigh Whannell Cast Barbara Hershey , Lin Shaye , Rose Byrne , Ty Simpkins , Patrick Wilson Runtime 103 minutes Franchise(s) Insidious Sequel(s) Insidious: Chapter 2 , Insidious: Chapter 3 , Insidious: The Last Key , Insidious: The Red Door Budget $1.5 million Expand
8 The Others
2001
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Known for introducing one of the best horror movie twists, The Others‘ opening moments are similar to The Deliverance‘s. In both films, single mothers move to a new home, hoping to create better lives for themselves and their children. However, things take a grim turn when they start experiencing strange things all over the house. The Others eventually becomes less about demonic possessions and more about the comfort of ignorance. However, the way it walks through a single mother’s struggles as she learns the truth about her new home and her children seems similar to The Deliverance‘s thematic explorations.
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Alejandro Amenábar wrote and directed this cult-classic 2001 Horror film starring Nicole Kidman and Fionnula Flanagan. The premise follows a mother and her two young photosensitive children as they attempt to deal with a mysterious and possibly sinister presence in their New Jersey home.
Director Alejandro Amenábar Release Date August 10, 2001 Studio(s) StudioCanal Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures , StudioCanal , Dimension Films Writers Alejandro Amenábar Cast Nicole Kidman , James Bentley , Alakina Mann , Christopher Eccleston , Fionnula Flanagan Runtime 104 minutes Budget $17 million Expand
7 Sinister
2012
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Scott Derrickson’s Sinister partially unfolds as a found footage film where a struggling author finds a series of snuff films that reveal the murders of several families by an unknown killer. While he sees the films as an opportunity to write his next bestseller, the demonic being responsible for the murders gradually takes control of his children. Despite being thematically similar to The Deliverance in more ways than one, Sinister ends on an unexpectedly grim note, where the main character gets so consumed by his greed that he fails to protect his family. This makes the film even more terrifying and hard-hitting.
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Sinister is a supernatural horror movie that centers around a washed-up true-crime writer named Ellison Oswalt, who finds a box of Super 8 home movies that suggest the murder he is currently researching is the work of a serial killer whose macabre work dates back to the 1960s. As he begins to write a biography about the case, terrifying images start to seep into his consciousness, making him question reality as the horrors of old are made new again.
Director Scott Derrickson Release Date October 12, 2012 Studio(s) Lionsgate Distributor(s) Lionsgate Writers Scott Derrickson , C. Robert Cargill Cast Juliet Rylance , Ethan Hawke , Fred Dalton Thompson , Vincent D’Onofrio , James Ransone Runtime 110 minutes Franchise(s) Sinister Sequel(s) Sinister 2 Budget $3 million Expand
6 Poltergeist
1982
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Although 1982’s Poltergeist has had many franchise expansions and reboots over the years, none have come close to being as memorable and terrifying as the original Steven Spielberg movie. Nominated for three Oscars, Poltergeist has a similar setup to The Deliverance but unfolds rather slowly. Its titular ghosts initially seem harmless and friendly, which the family initially finds amusing. However, like the demonic force in The Deliverance, the evil spirits in Poltergeist unleash their true malevolent nature by targeting the daughter in the family. Although the VFX in Poltergeist is slightly dated, it packs enough chills and thrills to keep one hooked.
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A remake of the 1982 horror film of the same name, Poltergeist revolves around the Bowen family, whose home has been invaded by evil, supernatural forces.
Director Tobe Hooper Release Date June 4, 1982 Writers Steven Spielberg , Michael Grais , Mark Victor Cast Jane Adams , Rosemarie DeWitt , Jared Harris , Sam Rockwell , Nicholas Braun Main Genre Horror Expand
5 The Exorcist
1973
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Despite being based on a true story, The Deliverance seems to share many narrative similarities with The Exorcist. However, The Exorcist is far more disturbing and memorable because of how it does not hold back from pushing the boundaries of horror and psychological terror. Both films feature demonic possessions and the battle between good and evil, but The Deliverance seems a little too gimmicky in some of its pivotal moments, while The Exorcist remains a horror classic that stays with a viewer long after its credits start rolling. The Exorcist is also getting a new reboot directed by Mike Flanagan.
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The Exorcist is a supernatural horror film based on the novel released in 1971 and was directed by William Friedkin. When a young girl is passed by a powerful demon, two Catholic priests are brought to her home to attempt an exorcism to expunge the demon.
Director William Friedkin Release Date December 26, 1973 Studio(s) Hoya Productions Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers William Peter Blatty Cast Max Von Sydow , Linda Blair , Lee J. Cobb , Ellen Burstyn , Jason Miller , Kitty Winn , Jack MacGowran Runtime 122 minutes Franchise(s) The Exorcist Sequel(s) The Exorcist: Believer , Exorcist II: The Heretic , The Exorcist III prequel(s) Exorcist: The Beginning , Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist Budget $12 million Main Genre Horror Expand
4 The Conjuring 2
2016
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Similar to The Deliverance‘s Ebony, a single mother, Peggy, moves to a new home in The Conjuring 2. Unbeknownst to her, her family’s life is about to change for the worse as she and her family will gradually experience a series of chilling paranormal events in their new house. Like Ebony ultimately finds help from a local priest, Peggy reaches out to paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who save her children from the evil forces that lurk in her home. The Conjuring 2 remains one of the most acclaimed movies in the franchise, making it the perfect watch for anyone who is into horror movies about haunted homes.
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The sequel to 2013’s horror hit, The Conjuring 2 is a supernatural horror film that again follows Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators who travel to London to investigate the case of the Hodgson family. When one of the Hodgson’s daughters becomes seemingly possessed after playing with an Ouija board, supernatural occurrences begin happening all over the home.
Director James Wan Release Date June 10, 2016 Studio(s) New Line Cinema , RatPac-Dune Entertainment , The Safran Company , Atomic Monster Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Chad Hayes , James Wan , Carey Hayes , David Johnson Cast Robin Atkin Downes , Vera Farmiga , Madison Wolfe , Patrick Wilson , Abhi Sinha , Simon McBurney , Maria Doyle Kennedy , Sterling Jerins , Frances O’Connor Runtime 134 minutes Franchise(s) The Conjuring Sequel(s) The Conjuring 3 prequel(s) The Conjuring Budget $40 million Main Genre Horror Expand
3 A Dark Song
2016
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Although relatively obscure, A Dark Song is an intelligent occult horror movie that dives into a mother’s struggles with loss, faith, and love. Unlike The Deliverance, A Dark Song is not about a family moving to a new home and later discovering it is haunted. The film’s main character, Sophia, willingly chooses to go down a dark, risky path for her son’s sake. However, like Ebony from The Deliverance, Sophia ultimately learns some valuable lessons about believing in god and finding the strength to forgive as she touches the darkest depths of the supernatural world.
2 The Babadook
2014
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Marking Jennifer Kent’s feature directorial debut, The Babadook explores themes surrounding parenting, grief, and paranoia. Although it takes time to build its unsettling atmosphere and fully unfold the true scope of its visual storytelling, it keeps viewers on their feet in its second half as it accelerates its pace and the frequency of its terrors. Like The Deliverance, The Babadook presents supernatural elements as allegories to the main female character’s internal battles and struggles with single parenting. To make things more interesting, it does not even depend on genre conventions, and, instead of introducing demonic villains, it creates its own unique lore.
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Jennifer Kent’s directorial debut follows Amelia, a widowed Australian mother still grieving the violent death of her husband. When Amelia’s son Samuel begins insisting that a monster has taken up residence in their home, she must attempt to keep Sam safe despite the looming seemingly supernatural presence that threatens to take both of their lives. Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman star as Amelia and Samuel.
Director Jennifer Kent Release Date November 28, 2014 Studio(s) Umbrella Entertainmen Distributor(s) Umbrella Entertainmen Writers Jennifer Kent Cast Noah Wiseman , Essie Davis Runtime 94 minutes Budget $2 million Expand
1 The Wailing
2016
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The South Korean horror movie The Wailing is relatively much bigger in scale and more expansive in setting when compared with Netflix’s The Deliverance. While, like The Deliverance, its main storyline revolves around a family, the film portrays how an entire village is plagued by mysterious events after an outsider enters it. What makes The Wailing similar to The Deliverance is how it portrays the tricks its central demonic figure uses to deceive and torment its victims. However, despite the narrative parallels, The Wailing is a far better horror movie than The Deliverance and boasts an almost perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 99%.
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The arrival of a mysterious stranger in a quiet village coincides with a wave of vicious murders, causing panic and distrust among the residents. While investigating the suspect, a policeman realizes that his daughter may have been a victim of the attack.
Director Na Hong-jin Release Date June 3, 2016 Cast Jun Kunimura , Hwang Jung-min , Kwak Do-won Runtime 2h 36m