(Credits: Netflix)

Netflix has recently released a brand-new, original project onto the streaming platform, and it has been an immediate hit with users. Debuting online on August 30, The Deliverance quickly shot up the streaming charts, becoming one of Netflix’s most popular offerings as of late. Its intense popularity likely has something to do with the impressive cast of the film, which features an incredible array of stars, including Glenn Close and Andra Day in leading roles.

Directed by Lee Daniels, the film is loosely based on the Ammons haunting case of 2011. In that incident, a family living in Gary, Indiana, allegedly experienced paranormal occurrences after moving into a new home. For instance, the children of the family would appear to be possessed by some sort of demonic force, and they each had stories about being assaulted or thrown across rooms by a seemingly invisible figure.

In the same vein, The Deliverance follows the story of the Jackson family, who move into a new home amid difficult family circumstances. The family is led by Ebony Jackson, the mother of three children and the focal point of the story. Ebony is played by Andra Day, while her children, Andre, Nate, and Shante, are portrayed by Anthony B. Jenkins, Caleb McLaughlin, and Demi Singleton, respectively.

Alberta Jackson, the grandmother of the family, is also a major player in the story and is played by Glenn Close. Close’s character is suffering from cancer, and the financial difficulties of the Jackson family mean they are having to fight to keep her treatment going. However, this process becomes all the more difficult when their new home starts being plagued by paranormal activity.

Much like the real-life Ammons case, Ebony Jackson begins to notice her children acting strangely – walking backwards up walls, for instance – yet no doctor can find anything discernibly wrong with them. Jackson then finds out that, prior to living in that house, a mother had once killed her whole family and herself on the same premises.

The Deliverance adds new layers to the supernatural thriller genre, including various subplots and devices which set it apart from the saturated genre of paranormal films. Its success on Netflix is a triumph for the platform, which has often been criticised for favouring projects which are profitable rather than those which are inventive or interesting.

There is no doubt that The Deliverence’s success is, on some level, the result of its stacked cast. Names like Glenn Close are capable of bringing in audience members who might not have been interested in a paranormal thriller otherwise, but the film also introduced some new and up-and-coming actors that are sure to become a mainstay of the silver screen in the coming years.

Full list of actors in The Deliverance:

• Glenn Close – Alberta Jackson
• Andra Day – Ebony Jackson
• Anthony B. Jenkins – Andre Jackson
• Caleb McLaughlin – Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Jackson
• Demi Singleton – Shante Jackson
• Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Reverend Bernice James
• Mo’Nique – Cynthia Henry
• Omar Epps – Melvin
• Miss Lawrence – Asia
• Colleen Camp – Doctor Hoffsteder
• Juanita Jennings – Mrs Tucker
• Kimberly Russell – Mrs Ross
• Tasha Smith – Pastor Powell