Dir: Michael Chaves
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy, Steve Coulter, Rebecca Calder, Elliot Cowan, Kila Lord Cassidy, Beau Gadsdon
Lacking in freights and originality, the film pivots the spotlight onto the Warrens themselves, casting the real-life paranormal investigators as daring pioneers despite their exploits remaining dubious decades later
Although the horror genre is now enjoying a thrilling renaissance, it was a different story in the 2000s and early 2010s. Back then, the once-prosperous genre had grown tired and predictable, bogged down by a parade of uninspired remakes and reboots of once-great classics. The explosive success of found-footage horror “Paranormal Activity” in 2008 sent Hollywood studios scrambling to chase the next supernatural sensation, eager to replicate the indie hit’s magic. This resulted in a flood of imitators, each hoping to lure audiences with quick jump scares and eerie backdrops, while the found footage style became a staple haunting the industry for several years.
Yet amid the sameness, one supernatural horror managed to shatter expectations: 2013’s “The Conjuring”. After years of rewrites and shifting ownership, the script finally landed in the hands of writing siblings Chad and Carey W. Hayes. They breathed new life into Tony DeRosa-Grund‘s original concept, shifting the focus from the haunted Perron family of Rhode Island to the renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The Warrens had spent decades delving into the unknown, their names forever linked to chilling cases, such as the notorious Amityville haunting of the 1970s.
With James Wan at the helm, fresh off his triumphs with “Insidious” and the “Saw” franchise, “The Conjuring” sparked a fierce bidding war before finding its home with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. The film became a runaway hit, both critically and commercially, as Wan’s masterful direction delivered well-crafted scares that sidestepped the clichéd tropes and instead built genuine suspense. What truly set the film apart, though, was the compelling chemistry between the Perron family and the Warrens, anchoring the supernatural story in a believable reality, even as the real-life case behind it faced heavy scepticism from experts.
Twelve years on, “The Conjuring” has grown into a sprawling cinematic universe, boasting nine theatrical releases. Beyond the core films chronicling Ed and Lorraine’s chilling investigations, the franchise has spun off into tales centred on the now instantly recognizable figures, such as Annabelle the doll and Valak the demon Nun. Even as critics’ enthusiasm has faded over time, the series has conjured more than $2 billion at the global box office, leading up to what is being billed as the grand finale: “The Conjuring: Last Rites”, which was released in cinemas this past Friday.
The story begins in 1964, where a youthful Ed and Lorraine Warren are investigating one of their earliest supernatural mysteries: a haunted antique mirror lurking in a shadowy curio shop. When the mirror shatters during Lorraine’s encounter, her pregnancy takes a perilous turn, and she is rushed to the hospital. Warding off the entity as she goes into labour, Lorraine gives birth to their only child, Judy, who arrives stillborn—until, miraculously, the new-born is pulled back from the edge of death.
Twenty-two years later, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) have stepped back from their ghostly pursuits due to Ed’s worsening heart condition. Meanwhile, the now-adult Judy (Mia Tomlinson), finds her inherited psychic gifts intensifying, unsettling her parents as strange manifestations begin to disrupt her life.
Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, the Smurl family—Jack (Elliot Cowan), Janet (Rebecca Calder), Jack’s parents, and their four daughters: Dawn (Beau Gadsdon), Heather (Kila Lord Cassidy), Carin (Tilly Walker), and Shannon (Molly Cartwright)—find their lives upended by a cascade of escalating supernatural threats. At the heart of the chaos is the very same antique mirror from Ed and Lorraine’s past, having recently been gifted to Heather for her confirmation.
Compelled by her growing abilities and the mirror’s dark pull, Judy sets out for West Pittston, closely followed by Ed, Lorraine, and her fiancé Tony (Ben Hardy). Together, they embark on a chilling investigation into the Smurl haunting—a case destined to become Ed and Lorraine’s last.
Despite being an ardent admirer of the original “The Conjuring” and having found myself pretty entertained by the Enfield haunting sequel, I approached my opening night viewing of “Last Rites” with a heavy dose of scepticism, worn down by the franchise’s steady decline. What began as a breath of fresh air in supernatural cinema has now devolved into the very cliché-ridden, jump-scare-laden formula it initially sought to distance itself from. The endless parade of uninspired spin-offs and the dreary third instalment, “The Devil Made Me Do It”, reeks of Warner Bros. squeezing every last drop from a once-celebrated series, leaving behind only the hollow shell of its former creativity.
After witnessing what has been marketed as the franchise’s swan song, I am convinced that “The Conjuring” series should have been laid to rest years ago. Yet, judging by the early box office returns, it seems Ed and Lorraine Warren’s escapades are destined to haunt our screens once more. Farmiga and Wilson are still terrific in the roles they have embodied numerous times now, with the pair still conjuring a believable spark as the iconic duo, but every other relationship is so lifeless and disconnected that I often felt as if I were watching several unrelated movies, all colliding in a chaotic, hurried finale.
The first of the two main plotlines draws us into the world of the Smurl family, based on a chilling 1986 case involving the Warrens. Their introduction brims with promise, as the bustling household is brought to life and each member gets a moment in the spotlight. Eerie events unfold both day and night, recapturing the same spine-tingling atmosphere that made the original film unforgettable, while echoing the haunting visuals of Tobe Hooper’s “Poltergeist”. I found myself completely absorbed by the family’s escalating supernatural ordeals, watching as each member, despite their initial doubts, is slowly ensnared by the invisible menace.
The trouble begins when the film shifts to its second major plotline, focusing on the retired Warrens, who are inevitably drawn back into the supernatural fray after the return of the mysterious mirror. For much of the bloated 135-minute runtime, their story unfolds more like a soap opera than a horror tale, chronicling their struggles with retirement, health woes, and Judy’s premature engagement to Tony. This drawn-out preamble to the Warrens’ involvement in the Smurl case adds little to the narrative, serving mainly to enshrine the family as legendary occult experts and trailblazers in a field long dismissed by scientists. The film even ends with text proclaiming the Warrens as world-changers in paranormal investigation, brushing aside decades of scepticism. Despite the absence of concrete evidence in their many cases, the franchise now casts the couple as real-life ghostbusters, complete with a museum brimming with cursed and haunted relics.
To make matters worse, the overly sentimental depiction of the Warrens completely overshadows the Smurl family’s haunting. As soon as Ed, Lorraine, Judy, and Tony set foot into the haunted Pennsylvania home, the supporting cast we had come to care about in the first two acts are swept aside, reduced to mere spectators while the Warrens swoop in to steal the spotlight yet again. This kind of saccharine storytelling feels out of place in a horror film, especially one that started with such modest ambitions.
On the brighter side, the film does a commendable job whisking us back to the 1980s, with the Pennsylvanian setting managing to evoke a sense of unease even amid its suburban sprawl. Still, I suspect it is Patrick Wilson’s formidable sideburns that truly anchor us in the era.
The Verdict:
Not only does this latest and potential final instalment in “The Conjuring Universe” lack the scares and creativity of the first film, its shift in attention onto the Warrens themselves results in a schmaltzy, unfocused narrative that does nothing but paint the occult experts as god-like saviours who have been sent to protect these tormented families from their demonic intruders.
The Conjuring: Last Rites is now showing in UK Cinemas
Dan Loves Film 
Hmmmm. I do love being whisked backed to the 80s, but I’ve never seen any of the Conjuring films so I’m not going to start now. What’s your read on why “the horror genre is now enjoying a thrilling renaissance.” I’d really like to know. Are audiences just super dark and pessimistic now?
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I don’t think its down to audiences, I think its more down to horror filmmakers exploring more intriguing avenues when it comes to horror, this year in particular has been particularly strong for new and original horror titles, rather than relying on remakes or imitations
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Interesting
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