Celebrated as some of the biggest mainstream horror movies of recent memory, The Conjuring series has introduced audiences to a range of films centred on the accounts of real-life paranormal investigators and authors Ed and Lorraine Warren. With a franchise spanning four movies in the main storyline and several spinoffs, The Conjuring: Last Rites serves as a sendoff for the series’ protagonists while leaving the door open for new stories in the universe. With strong production values and some genuine scares, The Conjuring: Last Rites is a solid entry in the series’ lore, even if it does not reach the high watermarks set by earlier films in the franchise.
The Conjuring: Last Rites sees series staples Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) return for one last case as they push toward retirement. This time, they investigate the disturbing Smurl haunting, where a family is terrorized by ghosts who refuse to leave them alone. While initially hesitant to re-enter the world of paranormal investigation after a health scare, their daughter and family friends give them the push they need to face one last case.
No matter your views on the real-life Ed and Lorraine Warren, whether you see them as true investigators or frauds, there is no denying the impact of The Conjuring series. The performances by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are a big part of that impact. They bring the characters to life and make the roles their own. While The Conjuring: Last Rites does not hit as hard as The Conjuring II, it still provides a meaningful chapter in their lives, offering a glimpse into their struggles, family life and the toll these cases have taken.
Wilson and Farmiga deliver strong performances, making their roles feel human, fallible and loving. Their onscreen chemistry is as palpable as ever, delivering heartbreaking moments, impactful experiences and struggles that remind viewers why audiences have followed this family for four films.
“With strong production values and some genuine scares, The Conjuring: Last Rites is a solid entry in the series’ lore…”
Mia Tomlinson as Judy Warren and Ben Hardy as her boyfriend, Tony Spera, also bring strong performances. They add new depth to the Warren family’s daily struggles, showing how each case strains them but also underscores the importance of their work to the people they help. The new couple serve as a potential passing of the torch should the franchise continue, exploring new cases or stories beyond the history of Ed and Lorraine Warren.
As the last film in this storyline, it makes sense to take on a case that pushes the family to its limits, and the Smurl haunting provides the franchise with plenty to draw upon. It delivers shocking moments and haunting imagery for horror fans to enjoy. The Conjuring franchise has always offered a unique take on ghosts and the supernatural, and that design sensibility remains strong in this entry.
Ghosts and demons are unsettling, their onscreen presence deliberately unnatural. The imagery is disturbing without reaching the extremes often seen in indie horror. The visual flair and production values are on full display, with some of the most twisted interpretations of the subject matter since the second installment. While this film does not push the boundaries of horror, it delivers solid scares that fans of the series will appreciate.
The Conjuring: Last Rites also captures the essence of working-class America in the 1980s. The setting carries a sense of nostalgia without overindulging in period detail. The crew and effects teams deserve credit for re-creating the world the characters inhabit, balancing nods to real-life events with memorable creative choices that make the film their own.
Despite that, this is more a story about the Warren family than a straightforward haunting. Above all, it is a sendoff to the characters of Ed and Lorraine Warren as much as it is a tale of the Smurl case. While the haunting remains central, Last Rites spends more time with the Warren family, exploring their beginnings as investigators, their life with their daughter and the looming reality of retirement. It feels very much like the end of an era, and director Michael Chaves makes this theme a focal point of the film. The result is a tonal shift compared with past installments, but for franchise fans it serves as a fitting close to the main Conjuring storyline.
Even with all this, The Conjuring: Last Rites manages to deliver a solid spooky tale, offering enough scares and twisted imagery to make the journey worthwhile. While the main story is designed as a series sendoff, the acting, visuals, and bigger budget make it worth watching even for those who may not be familiar with the Warrens’ many cases but simply want a good scare.
