This Brutal Thriller Scarred a 7-Year-Old Quentin Tarantino So Badly He Never Went Camping Again

Quentin Tarantino loves talking about his childhood as a cinephile, when he would watch terrifying adult movies and brag to his peers about them.

In his book Cinema Speculation, the director not only recalls his delights, but also real traumas. One such movie is John Boorman's Deliverance, which 7-year-old Quentin saw as part of a double feature.

Nominated for three Oscars, including Best Picture, Deliverance was so brutal and realistic that afterwards Tarantino refused to go on any forest hikes.

What Is 'Deliverance' About?

Four city dwellers, Lewis, Ed, Bobby, and Drew, head into the wild Appalachian Mountains to go on a canoeing trip down a river before it's dammed. They plan to relax, fish, and enjoy nature.

However, the locals greet them not with hospitality but with double-barreled shotguns and sadistic tendencies. Survival turns into a living nightmare – the men must defend themselves and cover their tracks, plunging into the same primal violence they were trying to escape.

In 'Cinema Speculation', Quentin Tarantino Revealed How Shocked He Was by 'Deliverance'

Tarantino recalls seeing Deliverance with his mother and being stunned by the experience. Deliverance wasn't just terrifying – it offered viewers an unthinkable plot twist for the time.

Rather than facing familiar challenges like the vagaries of nature or internal conflicts, the characters confronted the mindless, everyday cruelty of the villagers. According to Quentin, the rape scene was unbearable precisely because of its realism.

The villagers didn't look like horror movie monsters, they were ordinary, unpredictable people. Tarantino, who watched everything as a child, admitted that Deliverance was one of the most difficult experiences he had.

'Deliverance' Is Now Forgotten, but It's a Cult Thriller That Will Make You Bite Your Nails

These days, Deliverance is rarely mentioned, even though it was a worldwide sensation in 1972 and received three Oscar nominations.

John Boorman's movie is not just a survival thriller, it is also an exploration of the limits of humanity. What happens to civilized people when they encounter primal terror? Where is the line between self-defense and murder?

Boorman doesn't offer easy answers, he simply shows how four friends transform into the very things they fear. Afterward, you're unlikely to want to go on a hike in the woods, much like a 7-year-old Tarantino.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Deliverance'?

• Deliverance has 90% from critics and 82% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.6/10.

• On Letterboxd, Deliverance scored 3.9/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Deliverance'?

Deliverance is available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime Video.