THE STORY – In 1986 paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to Pennsylvania to vanquish a demon from a family’s home.
THE CAST – Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson & Ben Hardy
THE TEAM – Michael Chaves (Director), Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing & David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (Writers)
THE RUNNING TIME – 136 Minutes
It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a decade since “The Conjuring” redefined modern horror. In 2013, James Wan’s unassuming supernatural thriller carved out a corner of the genre that dared to blend brutal scares with deeply felt humanity. The goal back then was modest: make one great haunted house movie. What followed was something no one could have predicted: a sprawling cinematic universe of nine films (and two spin-offs), box office billions, and many iconic characters. And now, with “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” the journey of Ed and Lorraine Warren comes to an end. It doesn’t end with a scream, but with something more resonant: a warm goodbye, a final embrace of the people who built this haunted home.
Directed by franchise veteran Michael Chaves, “Last Rites” is a culmination of everything the series has always tried to be: terrifying and tender, about ghosts and demons, but more importantly, about family. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson return one last time as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real-life demonologists whose work inspired the entire saga. They are also joined by Mia Tomlinson and Ben Hardy as their daughter, Judy, and her boyfriend, Tony, strengthening the family dynamics and placing, not the case of the week, front and center, but the Warrens instead. By doing this, it becomes the most emotionally weighty entry to date.
The film takes place in 1986, smack in the middle of “Ghostbusters”-era skepticism and a world that has seemingly moved on from the Warrens. A university student even jokingly asks if they have ever been “slimed.” Ed’s health is declining, visions still haunt Lorraine, and the couple has retired from their work, seemingly for good. But just as their peace begins to settle, their first case returns to haunt them, turning into the darkest one yet. The film actually starts with this first case, beginning with the sound of Ed’s familiar voice over a tape recorder as he interviews a terrified victim of a haunting in her antique store. “The Conjuring” series has always been about haunted people, specifically families. And with the Warrens, the first case has haunted them through life.
It’s fitting to see a young portrayal of Ed and Lorraine (Orion Smith and Madison Lawlor) in these opening minutes. The audience gets to see their start in a film that also marks the end of their career. The first case we see them take on here comes full circle later, directly becoming connected to the last case they would investigate. You know the impact this first case has on them, most notably because it causes Lorraine to go into labour prematurely, giving birth to Judy stillborn. A dark presence looms, watching it all, until Judy finally lets out a cry. It proves to be an incredibly emotional opener. The power of belief and spirituality is a strong theme here, and those two things are significantly tested later on in the film.
Tying their first case to their last is a work of great circular storytelling, one of the film’s most powerful tools. That traumatic night, once buried, becomes the foundation for the Smurl haunting – the case that will bring the Warrens out of retirement, test every fiber of their being, and threaten to destroy the very family they’ve built. It’s a clever, emotionally rich way of tying the beginning of the Warrens’ journey to its end, and it gives “Last Rites” a well-earned sense of finality.
Chaves and the trio of screenwriters – Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick – lean hard into this theme of endings and beginnings. Now grown, Judy is beginning to exhibit her mother’s gifts stronger than ever. Perhaps out of fear or guilt, Lorraine urges her to shut it out, echoing a choice that will be tested later. Judy’s boyfriend, Tony, who is written with more depth than the average horror movie boyfriend, supports her journey in a way that contrasts with Ed and Lorraine’s protectiveness. The Warrens’ fear is real – not of ghosts or demons, but of letting go.
That emotional undercurrent gives “Last Rites” its strongest moments. Wilson and Farmiga, always the franchise’s secret weapon, deliver their best performances yet. Their chemistry is effortless, their love palpable, and the sheer weight of everything they’ve been through is etched in everything they do. The film is imbued with love between husband and wife, between parents and child, and between a legacy and those who must carry it forward.
Of course, this is still a horror film, and “Last Rites” doesn’t skimp on the scares. The Smurl haunting, based on real events in Pennsylvania, starts strong. From the outset, things go bump – and scream – in the night. Candles extinguish themselves, toys come alive, and ominous figures lurk in corners. The demon designs here are among the best since “The Conjuring 2’s” Valak and Crooked Man, and Benjamin Wallfisch’s score underscores the terror with precision, while displaying a warmth when it needs to.
In terms of being a send-off, it feels apt. But if we look at it as just another horror film, it falls into some tired patterns. Unlike the slow-burning dread and subtlety of the first “Conjuring,” this film moves fast, escalating the Smurl case quickly and dramatically. In doing so, it loses some of that grounded restraint that once set this franchise apart, especially when trying to make each scare seem bigger than the last, turning out to be more gimmicky like many horror films. The psychic elements, particularly between Lorraine and Judy, occasionally cross the line from spiritual into spectacle (but there is a stunning set piece with mirrors that puts Judy right in the crosshairs of something malevolent). The horror here is often loud and showy, as though it’s trying to go out with the biggest bang possible when it never needed to because, truthfully, “The Conjuring” fans care more about the Warrens than whatever the demons are doing.
Still, its overall messaging and themes remain strong. It’s a film about letting go of fear, of the ones we love when we must. There’s genuine pathos in watching Ed and Lorraine realize they can’t shield Judy forever. And Judy proves to be more than just a narrative device. She’s the emotional center here, a character we’ve watched grow up on the margins of this franchise, now finally taking the spotlight. Her journey mirrors her parents’, as she grapples with what it means to carry the weight of something unseen – to live a life haunted, yet hopeful.
When the film reaches its conclusion – a decisive final confrontation steeped in faith, fear, and unconditional love – it feels right to say goodbye, not just to Ed and Lorraine, but to an era of horror defined by their unwavering belief in the power of light over darkness. Yes, the franchise got bigger, bolder, and sometimes not for the better. But for all the ghosts and exorcisms, what always made “The Conjuring” special was its heart. And while not every film hit the mark, the franchise never lost sight of what mattered: the families at the center of it all.
So if “The Conjuring” began with a whisper in the dark, “Last Rites” ends with a chorus of voices that drown out all the evil: voices of love, memory, and faith. It’s a fitting end to the Warrens’ cinematic journey and a graceful farewell to a franchise that gave us more than we ever expected.
