‘A virgin will give birth to Heaven and Hell’
Deliver Us is a 2023 American supernatural horror film about a team of priests investigating a nun’s supposed immaculate conception. Formerly known as Kill the Child.
Directed by Cru Ennis – making his directorial debut – and Lee Roy Kunz (Delirium; A Beer Tale) from a screenplay co-written by the latter and Kane Kunz.
The World’s Fair Pictures stars Maria Vera Ratti, Lee Roy Kunz, Aleksander Mikoš McCarthy, Hans Robert Varts, Alexander Siddig, Jaune Kimmel and Thomas Kretschmann.
Plot:
When a nun in a remote convent claims an immaculate conception, the Vatican sends a team of priests to investigate.
Concerns grow that an ancient prophecy is about to be fulfilled: that a woman will give birth to twin boys – one the Messiah, the other the Antichrist – and the ensuing battle will determine the fate of the world…
Reviews:
” …there’s an idea of what it means to be a good Christian instead of being a bad priest that is poignant and well-considered […] Deliver Us is not for the squeamish or the faint of heart — especially with its subject matter and manner of brutal filmmaking — but if you’re on board with the religious horror sub-genre, then they’re a lot to enjoy and takeaway.” Battle Royale with Cheese
“Deliver Us is a film that challenges viewers’ thinking by tackling important philosophical issues within the context of a mysterious religion. The film is hampered by pacing issues and a reliance on genre clichés, despite its commendable exploration of complex themes, strong performances, and an engaging storyline. Despite these flaws, Deliver Us still manages to provide a suspenseful and thought-provoking viewing experience…” Caillou Pettis Movie Reviews
“Deliver Us is not a picture for those unwilling to be delivered from their blind faith, or for those who are confounded by the film’s violence, nudity and sexuality, or for those who are too squeamish. For those who can get past its many faults (a questionable execution of its plot, a gloomy atmosphere and an unpleasing slow pace) will find much about it that might be muddled but is also deliciously zany.” Grade: B, Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
“Deliver Us will impress religious horror fans looking for more brutal and stylistic fare. Ennis and Kunz may have been too ambitious, but it’s still an impressive feat that tries to break the typical priest-finding-his-faith-again mold. Plus I commend their creation of sexual tension between a lapsed priest and a nun.” ★★ Dread Central
“The pacing of the movie doesn’t drag and each scene is well-lit and expertly framed and executed. The visuals are breathtaking, especially when Father Fox jumps into the frozen lake at night to save Sister Yulia and emerges inside a large cross carved out of the ice in the lake. Deliver Us offers horror fans an interesting story steeped in faith and lore yet grounded in the staples of the horror film genre.” Flick Direct
“In a cinematic landscape filled with reboots and remakes, Deliver Us stands as a beacon of originality and creativity. Directed by Lee Roy Kunz and brought to life by a talented ensemble cast, this slow-burning gothic religious thriller offers a captivating take on the antichrist narrative. With its high level of biblical references, it weaves an intriguing tapestry that keeps audiences engaged from start to finish.” ★★★½ Horror Movies Uncut
“Although Deliver Us doesn’t quite reach the potential on offer, the film does serve up enough originality and plenty to ponder over that aficionados of religious horror and nunsploitation should find it a worthwhile watch.” The Good, the Bad and the Verdict
“This is the first time I have seen Mr Kunz onscreen, so I have no other performances of his to compare it to, but based solely on this, I was not very impressed. Ultimately, Deliver Us is a competently well-made horror thriller that suffers from its own self-aggrandizing marketing. It tells you what you’re in store for but fails to deliver the goods. With a stronger script and noteworthier characters, it could have been a classic…” ★★★ Irish Film Critic
“This kind of demonic horror is truly scary, because there is a widespread perception the Church has lost its moral compass. Kunz and Ennis probably need not have had the aforementioned reason in mind, but they still picked up on the resulting zeitgeist. They also nicely capitalize on the wintery Baltic backdrops. It has its flaws, but it still gets under viewers’ skins rather effectively.” J.B. Spins
“Sacrifices are demanded, and blood is spilled, but as the mystery unfolds, the unfortunate layer of silliness that plagues many films in this demonic subgenre begins to creep in. Even worse, two incredulous Shining references appear to nearly comedic effect, derailing the mood in an instant. The writing and directing teams also seem overly concerned with the lack of eroticism in the exorcism game.” ★★½ Maddwolf
“Between the many seriously underlit scenes and the rambling, somber and self-serious dialogue, I was at a loss, not about the point of this […] but about how this contrived, clunky narrative is going to get us there. As Catholic horror tales go, Deliver Us is more of a good-looking failure than a scary, thrilling or entertaining dive into Church arcana.” ★★ Movie Nation
“Without the audience being emotionally invested in any of the characters’ lives, it’s hard to care about what happens to them, so the beats don’t quite land during the third act. The performances are decent at best with no one getting much of a chance to shine […] At a running time of 1 hour and 43 minutes, which feels more like 2 hours, Deliver Us is gritty, foreboding and atmospheric, but monotonous, convoluted and low on scares.” The NYC Movie Guru
“Deliver Us stands out because its creators have struck the ideal balance of lull-inducing silences to daft genre trope punctuation. It doesn’t make much sense, or flow smoothly from one scene to the next. But boy, “Deliver Us” sure does what it does.” RogerEbert.com
” …some fascinating worldbuilding that overwhelmingly works, but sometimes falls closer to confusing than mysterious. Building on that confusion, Deliver Us doesn’t quite stick the landing in its final moments. But it’s so effective as an atmospheric religious horror movie punctuated by fantastic practical gore that it’s difficult to complain about it not meeting its full potential.” Screen Anarchy
It’s tough to find much success as a filmmaker when your leading man can’t carry the material, and it’s a massive misstep for him to take on roles both behind and in front of the camera. He tries to do too much and fails. Deliver Us presents some thoughtful ideas, but it just doesn’t come together as a whole.” Screen Zealots
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