For over a decade, we’ve witnessed the birth of a horror franchise with The Conjuring Universe that centered on the cases of paranormal investigating couple, the Warrens. It all comes full circle as fans witness the final chapter of their careers in The Conjuring: Last Rites.
Returning to the earlier film’s roots, The Conjuring: Last Rites offers the big scares that audiences have grown accustomed to from the franchise, with its scary set pieces and subtle jump scares.
As this is being marketed as the final story of the Warrens, everything that we have known and loved about the franchise is present here, relying on minimalist effects to create the horror effect of a haunted house. As much as it’s a horror film, there is also plenty of family drama taking place with the Warrens, which is also the center of the story.
The film takes us back to the beginning, where a young Ed and Lorraine Warren tackle a case involving a haunted house while Lorraine is pregnant with her child. After she comes into contact with a demonic mirror, she experiences visions of her future but soon realizes she’s going into labor.
The baby comes out as premature and has a slim chance of survival, but a miracle suddenly presents itself as Lorraine prays for her child’s safety, and she survives.
Flash forward to the 1970s, and we find the Warrens on the brink of retirement from the paranormal to lead a normal life alongside their daughter, Judy (Mia Tomlinson).
Realizing their daughter is ready to be off on their own, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) have been showcasing their life’s work with friends and family as they reminisce on their times tackling the supernatural. Ed’s heart condition has had an impact on their work, causing the couple to take a brief hiatus.
One big change entering the family is Judy’s boyfriend, Tony (Ben Hardy), a former cop who is ready to take the next step in their relationship. With the Warrens’ blessing, he asked for their daughter’s hand in marriage. Ed doesn’t seem too pleased about letting him into his family, knowing their history, but is willing to do whatever it takes to make his daughter happy.
Despite her happiness, Judy does seem to struggle with the same apparitions that her mother faces with the supernatural and tries to suppress them when she starts to see things out of the ordinary.
The film also focuses on the Smurl family, who move into their new home in Pennsylvania. After purchasing the same demonic mirror that Lorraine came into contact with, strange things start to happen with them.
Once they realize a haunting has taken hold of their new home, the Smurls search for help in tackling this demonic possession, which finds its way to the Warrens as they are pitted against the very thing that has haunted them in the past.
Returning to the director’s chair is Michael Chaves, who has experience with the franchise after directing both The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and The Nun II. Even though he has struggled with retaining the same tone as the first two movies, Chaves has found a way to build tension.
Some great set pieces show just how great Chaves is in elevating the horror, like how Janet Smurl notices some unsettling things happening around the house or when darkness consumes the building, and it’s the shadows that become a danger to everyone near it.
What the film focuses its full attention on is the Warrens, which is what drags the film for half of its runtime. The film doesn’t quite pick up the pace until we get into the story of the Smurls, which is where most of the horror takes place. Even the Warrens don’t get to see any of that and are oblivious to what’s happening to them until the second half of the movie.
The Warrens do have their own storyline in the film as the daughter becomes entangled with the supernatural as she gets the same abilities as Lorraine. Both Wilson and Varmiga haven’t lost their touch in portraying the couple convincingly on screen.
Even Hardy’s role as Judy’s boyfriend-turned-fiancé has some surprisingly good moments with the Warrens, but often it feels like he’s shoved into the story without a proper setup.
However, it seems like the film is trying to bridge two very different storylines that take maybe a bit too long to fulfill.
Once these two cross over, the film drags on, and the movie loses momentum. The mirrors are often used quite a bit in the movie, and it’s very effective when it comes to the scares. When we see the Warrens finally working together on this case, that’s when the film reaches its peak.
In hindsight, The Conjuring: Last Rites is a farewell to the Warrens and all the films that have led up to this.
It may not have been the proper goodbye fans want, but it’s nice to see the couple’s story get some closure. Whatever the future holds for the franchise after this, it is both Wilson and Farmiga who really made these films compelling, so seeing them go will be bittersweet.
The Conjuring: Last Rites is now playing in theaters.
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Mufsin Mahbub
Mufsin Mahbub is a TV and film fanatic who loves all things superhero, sci-fi, horror, and mystery. Outside of writing, he enjoys traveling, gaming, and watching some anime.