Deliver Us Review: A Bone-Chilling Horror!

Religious horror is a genre that primarily dates back to the 1970s when The Exorcist was released in 1973, considered a classic in the genre and horror as a whole. Some more recent entries include The Nun (2018), Saint Maud (2019), Pray for the Devil (2022), and The Pope’s Exorcist (2023). Many religious horror films deal with exorcisms and demonic possessions, making it a cluttered subgenre at times. Lee Roy Kunz’s third feature film Deliver Us is yet another religious horror entry but one that separates itself from others because of its clear focus, chilling atmosphere, and distinct script that feels fresh.

Sister Yulia (Maria Vera Ratti), a new addition to her convent in Russia, wakes up in agonizing pain one night to discover that she is pregnant with twins, a phenomenon she explains must be an immaculate conception. Father Fox, a priest on his way out of the practice after falling in love and expecting a child with Laura (Jaune Kimmel), is persuaded to investigate Sister Yulia’s case after she seeks him out to help.

Cardinal Russo (Alexander Siddig) discovers an old prophecy that outlines Sister Yulia’s experience, suggesting that the two twins she carries are brothers, one being the Messiah and the other the Antichrist. The movie’s filming locations in Estonia are breathtaking and adds to the already unsettling and dark feel Kunz creates through his direction.

Deliver Us opens up larger than life ideas in a skillfully executed script that allows the audience to follow the characters at hand while also conceptualizing how their decisions will affect all of mankind. Lee Roy Kunz’s incorporation of human elements in Father Fox’s character comes off more authentic to the human condition, rather than following yet another priest or group of clergyman that feel way too indoctrinated into their practice, thus coming off as simple caricatures. His ability to try to look at things rationally while also staying true to his personal beliefs founded in Catholicism makes him a character the audience can easily rationalize with.

Deliver Us is just ambiguous enough to keep the audience wondering upon the outcome after the credits roll while also maintaining a clear scope of where it wants to land. After internally reviewing some of the older Catholic teachings, the film is able to create parallels between the first creation of man and original sin in its script, specifically involving the Messiah being born again in human form.

The idea of God putting fate yet again in human hands, as he did with Adam and Eve, brings up an interesting debate as to whether humanity would make the same mistake again when given another opportunity. It also makes the audience grapple with the idea of a balance of Good and Evil being essential to the story of man.

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It also is able to create parallels between how we interpret writings, in this case scripture, and the actual events that will transpire. It has been written that when Man has traveled farthest from God, it will bring about the end of days. What Deliver Us displays is the question of, will those end of days mean the apocalypse or will it be an end before His return, which will bring about a new beginning.

Father Fox and Sister Yulia’s relationship with one another allows the script to unfold in a way that lays all of these questions out for the audience to sit with and decide on their own. It is a masterful compilation of human and Catholic ideas that are able to be presented in a terrifying visual display. Deliver Us on the surface is a bone chilling horror and at its core is a philosophical exploration of religion and humanity. Kunz’s fusion of both is balanced exceptionally and it should be exciting to see what he does next.

‘Deliver Us (2023)’ Rating – 4/5

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