Deliverance Creek

Deliverance Creek

Year: 2014

Runtime: 87 mins

Language: English

Director: Jon Amiel

Drama

Following the Civil War, Belle Gatlin Barlowe, a widowed mother, struggles to protect her family’s land. Faced with a ruthless local bank threatening her livelihood, she is pushed to become an outlaw. Belle’s fight for survival forces her to confront difficult choices and question the true meaning of justice and the lengths one must go to protect those they love.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Deliverance Creek yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Deliverance Creek (2014) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Deliverance Creek (2014), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Set two years after the commencement of the American Civil War, it loosely centers on Belle Gatlin Barlow, Lauren Ambrose. Deliverance Creek is where the Union troop’s pay will be delivered, so a group of Union deserters go there to intercept it. Belle lives in Deliverance Creek with her children, trying to maintain the farm, as her husband Harlan left to fight in the war and is presumed dead. Belle is involved with Deputy Nate Cooper, Wes Ramsey. Belle’s neighbor Jeb Crawford, Barry Tubb, hits on her, but she rejects his advances. When he returns home, he complains about their run-in and his wife Cordelia, Katherine Willis, notices the slap mark on his face.

In Arkansas, Kessie, Yāni King Mondschein, a slave, sneaks her family off the plantation to avoid being separated, as her husband Moses is to be sold at a slave auction. When the owner finds them missing he vows never to free Kessie. She copies the safe key, forges her freedom papers and takes cash from the safe to follow her family. Belle’s sister Hattie Gatlin, Caitlin Custer, talks about participating in the Underground Railroad. She goes to collect the first people to hide, Kessie’s family, only to find there are more than there is space for. Cordelia, who works at the bank, Katherine Willis, is unsympathetic to Belle’s financial difficulties and sends her a notice. When Belle discovers a few of her calves were wrongly branded by Jeb, she convinces him at gunpoint to return them.

Returning home from town, Belle finds her brother Jasper, Christopher Backus, and other Union army deserters. Toby, Riley Smith, Caleb’s father, is suffering from a gunshot wound, which Belle treats. Hattie arrives at Belle’s, hoping to hide Kessie’s children overnight. Belle warns her how dangerous that could be with the men there so Hattie convinces the saloon owner to hide them. The deserters burn their coats in the back. Belle hears them conspiring to rob the Union soldier payroll, soon to arrive at the local bank. Nate shows up at Belle’s farmhouse and tries to get her to leave with the kids, but she refuses.

Belle realises they will soon search her premises so she sends off the deserters, and hides Toby and her kids. A posse comes by, as remnants of the Union soldiers’ things were retrieved from the fire. During their search, Caleb is shot dead. After they bury him, Belle tells Toby he was his son. Kessie arrives, only to find that Moses and the kids were separated and his fate is unknown. Hattie convinces Belle to take her in under the guise of a slave. Belle contacts Jasper to help them steal the Union payroll, as she wants revenge against the Crawfords for Caleb’s death. Visiting Nate’s office, she deduces when the gold will arrive. Belle enlists Kessie’s help, in exchange for helping reuniting her family.

Ben, Joel Johnstone, stands watch in the safe overnight, while four of the deserters are snuck into the funeral home next door to the bank, in pine boxes under the guise of a family that perished from smallpox. They break into the bank and crack the safe, but Ben is shot. The men hide the gold, planning to meet in a month to divvy out the earnings, but Cyril, Christopher James Baker, plans to keep it for himself. The next day, once the robbery is discovered, Cordelia is told she’ll be held responsible for the value of all missing. Nate finds Belle’s necklace at the scene of the crime, and when they meet, she realises it’s missing. >“Deliverance Creek” remains a place where fear, loyalty, and ambition collide as the town navigates war’s shadow and the consequences of a bold, dangerous plan.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:45

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Desperate Vigilante Justice Movies like Deliverance Creek

Ordinary people pushed to extremes to protect what they love.If you enjoyed the high-stakes moral choices in Deliverance Creek, explore these movies about ordinary people pushed to extremes. These films feature characters taking the law into their own hands to fight injustice, creating tense, gritty stories of survival and sacrifice.

desperatetensegrittydeterminedanxiouscriminal underworld

Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread typically follow a character facing an overwhelming external threat, such as a corrupt institution or powerful enemy. Their initial attempts to work within the system fail, leading them down a path of escalating criminal acts, justified by their desperate circumstances and protective instincts.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here due to their shared theme of moral transformation under pressure. They feature a consistent high intensity, heavy emotional weight, and a tense tone, focusing on the grey areas between right and wrong when survival is at stake.

Gritty Post-War Survival Stories Similar to Deliverance Creek

Stories of survival and moral reckoning in the brutal aftermath of war.Looking for movies like Deliverance Creek that capture the struggle to survive after a major conflict? This collection features tense dramas set in war-torn landscapes where characters face moral dilemmas and fight for their families amidst social collapse and lawlessness.

sombergrittydesperateanxiouslawlesshistorical drama

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves characters navigating a world where the old rules no longer apply. The central conflict shifts from battlefield combat to the daily struggle for resources, safety, and a semblance of justice, often forcing characters into difficult alliances and morally ambiguous actions.

Why These Movies?

These films share a specific setting and mood: the bleak, uncertain period following a war. They are united by a somber, anxious atmosphere, a steady pacing that builds tension, and themes of survival, systemic injustice, and the heavy emotional weight of carrying trauma.

Unlock the Full Story of Deliverance Creek

Don't stop at just watching — explore Deliverance Creek in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Deliverance Creek is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Deliverance Creek Timeline

Track the full timeline of Deliverance Creek with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Deliverance Creek Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Deliverance Creek

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Deliverance Creek. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Deliverance Creek

Deliverance Creek Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Deliverance Creek that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Deliverance Creek Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Deliverance Creek

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Deliverance Creek: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Deliverance Creek