‘Deliverance’ Exacts Revenge on Man’s Entitlement to Nature

John Boorman’s 1972 adaptation is a technically exceptional backwoods nightmare.

Nikki Davis
6 min readOct 16, 2022
(via Warner Bros.)

NOTE: For the month of October, I’ll be watching and reviewing classic horror movies that I somehow never made it around to seeing. Bring on your commentary in the comments — and happy Halloween!

It’s mid-October, which means everyone in my area is patiently waiting a little longer for the leaves in North Georgia to change color. Hundreds of us will make the trek up from the Atlanta area to one of a dozen-ish state parks for some hiking and biking— and possibly some camping.

I can vouch for how gorgeous it is up there — I’ve got relatives who live even further north, in and around Tennessee’s Copper Basin — but I couldn’t tell you a thing about how dangerous it can be. You know why?

I stay in my lane. I only visit places with existing trails, a decent amount of people around, a public help center, and plenty of clear directions for hiking, canoeing, and inner-tubing. I ask the locals plenty of questions. Their families have, more often than not, lived in that area for the better part of the past century; they are the natural historians of every hill and valley in the area, and they have no problem giving you the what for if you and…

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Nikki Davis

Pop culture fiend and perpetual word nerd. Self-proclaimed expert playlist maker. Writing about film, TV, music, productivity, and self-care. 🤓🎞️🏳️‍🌈