Spoilers ahead for The Deliverance on Netflix.
The streaming services that have been competing for years are consistently releasing new content, both TV shows and original films. Lee Daniels' new horror flick The Deliverance recently arrived for those with a Netflix subscription, and it quickly went viral. I watched The Deliverance, and I was as shocked as the internet about Glenn Close's role.
Theres a few things to know about The Deliverance, chief among them that the legendary Glenn Close is swinging hard as Alberta Jackson. She plays the mother of a Black woman, seen doing a sew in one scene, and getting truly outrageous lines of dialogue once she's possessed later in the film. One line of dialogue particularly went viral on Twitter, with folks reacting to Close saying something so out of character, which would have otherwise been wildly offensive coming out of her mouth. Check out one such reaction below:
Lee Daniel’s you will pay for your Crimes for having Glenn Close say this 😂😂😂 #TheDeliverance pic.twitter.com/VHdNzLBJROAugust 30, 2024
Yes, you heard that right. This immediately starting blowing up on social media. And I also couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing, which only made me lean in closer when watching the horror flick. So while The Deliverance might not be considered one of Glenn Close's best movies, she once again brought a fully realized performance that's made its impact on the pop culture landscape.
With The Deliverance, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lee Daniels put his own spin on one of the best horror movies of all time: The Exorcist. This story focuses on the Jackson family in Indiana, who start to experience supernatural frights upon moving into a new home. Protagonists Ebony (played by Golden Globe-winning actress Andra Day) has a history of incarceration and alcoholism, making her a complicated but captivating final girl.
While Day is riveting while leading the film, Glenn Close's character is the most viral thing to come out of The Deliverance. There have been strong reactions to her lines in the film, as well as seeing her as more of a floozy character. Another scene that quickly started going viral on social media is when Close is shown smoking a cigarette and sewing in a wig to her daughter's hair. One such tweet reads:
I never thought in all my days that I would see THEE Glenn Close doing a sew in with French manicure tips, chewing gum like a cow, with a cajun accent and doing the "girl straighten yo head up" move 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/EcD05fPLUzAugust 31, 2024
Of course, no pop culture moment happens without some memes popping up online. Close's performance in The Deliverance is no exception in this regard, as it stands in such stark juxtaposition to the way the 77 year-old icon typically carries herself. She's been compared to a number of meme-able figures of the internet, including one clip that's been going around for years now. As another tweet shared:
Glenn Close: #TheDeliverance pic.twitter.com/89Is7UuNznAugust 31, 2024
At the time of writing this story, The Deliverance is the #1 movie on Netflix in the US, so it's safe to say that plenty more folks are getting a glimpse at Glenn Close's already iconic performance as Alberta Jackson. And as such, Lee Daniels has cemented himself as a memorable horror director, in addition to his already long resume of hits on TV and film. And I'd love for him to bring us another one in the future.
The Deliverance is streaming now on Netflix. Check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your movies for next year.
