The Conjuring: Last Rites review: A heartfelt finale that’s not so frightening

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The Conjuring: Last Rites has wrapped up Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren’s (Vera Farmiga) terrifying saga on the big screen with a fairly decent conclusion. Based on a true story, director Michael Chaves’s latest Conjuring movie follows the Warrens in 1986 as they investigate the Smurl family haunting and the first demon they ever encountered.

The story of Last Rites brings The Conjuring Universe full circle by exploring the Warrens’ roots and their lasting legacy through the eyes of their daughter, Judy (Mia Tomlinson). The film doesn’t deliver as many horrifying surprises as its predecessors, and it falls short of balancing the stories of the Warrens and the Smurls. Nevertheless, Last Rites wraps up the Warrens’ story with an uplifting family narrative and a terrific cast of characters.

This time, it’s personal

Unlike most of the Conjuring movies, Last Rites establishes that their latest case is very personal to Ed and Lorraine. The Warrens crossed paths with the demon haunting the Smurls during their early years as investigators. The demon fled after forcing Lorraine to give birth. After the tense opening moments, Last Rites cuts to a heartwarming sequence of Ed and Lorraine raising Judy.

Fast forward to the present, and Ed and Lorraine are revealed to have retired from investigating. The duo gives lectures to a handful of youngsters who view paranormal activity as a joke. Of course, the Warrens are asked to help the Smurls with their haunting. However, it takes a while for them to answer the call to adventure.

Though the Warrens fight to save the Smurls, Last Rites remains a story about Ed and Lorraine learning to let their daughter grow up and live her own life. Having inherited her mother’s ability to see spirits, Judy shares in Lorraine’s struggles with the paranormal. Judy then gets engaged to her boyfriend, Tony Spera (Ben Hardy), which leads to some compelling drama.

Plenty of Warrens, not enough Smurls

As a young adult, Judy Warren receives a larger screen presence in Last Rites than in previous Conjuring movies. Judy might be considered the film’s true protagonist, with Mia Tomlinson giving a soulful performance befitting the character. Judy is revealed to be the demon’s main target, but she isn’t just someone who needs to be rescued. Judy is the heart of this film, as she encourages her parents to come out of retirement to help the Smurls defeat the demon.

Once again, Wilson and Farmiga give it their all with their performances as Ed and Lorraine in Last Rites. Their chemistry is as palpable as ever, capturing the love of this time-honored twosome. Ben Hardy also holds up well with his portrayal of Judy’s awkward but endearing fiancé, Tony Spera.

Moments with the Warrens are highlights of the film, but Last Rites arguably spends too much time on them and not enough on the Smurl family. Compared to the families in past Conjuring films, the Smurls simply feel like another family with a haunted house rather than real characters.

Last Rites pulls from an old bag of tricks

The horrors in The Conjuring: Last Rites come from the demon inside a creepy, cursed mirror, invoking memories of Mike Flanagan’s Oculus. However, the demon primarily manifests as a family of dark spirits haunting the Smurls, evoking memories of the specters in the first Conjuring film.

Despite some frightening, Joker-esque character designs, this unnamed demon isn’t as remarkable or memorable compared to more iconic villains like Valak or Annabelle. This seems to be why this new antagonist rehashes tricks and scares from previous Conjuring movies, showing how the franchise has run out of steam in recent years.

Overall, Last Rites unleashes the Conjuring franchise’s brand of jump scares. Though they all share the same style of dramatic, suspenseful buildup, they often don’t pack that big of a punch in the end. The one exception in this film is when one of the Smurls plays back footage of a ghost haunting them, culminating in a slow but surprising villain reveal.

Last Rites also becomes less frightening and more campy with its more over-the-top scares. When people start projectile vomiting blood and a cursed mirror spins around like the Tasmanian Devil, Last Rites ventures a bit too far into cartoony territory.

The film successfully builds a chilling atmosphere due to Benjamin Wallfisch’s original score and Eli Born’s cinematography. Images of industrial plants in the background of the Smurls’ faded home invoke images of spooky old castles, bringing a modern Gothic horror to suburban Pennsylvania.

Is The Conjuring: Last Rites worth a watch?

The Conjuring: Last Rites isn’t the best film in the franchise, but it gives a heartwarming send-off to Ed and Lorraine after 12 years on the big screen. Last Rites caps off the couple’s story as investigators, More importantly, Ed and Lorraine pass the baton to Judy, Tony, and their students.

While this leaves the room open for another phase in The Conjuring Universe, Last Rites shows that it’s best to lay this franchise to rest with this adequate ending.

The Conjuring: Last Rites is now playing in theaters.