In 1986 paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to Pennsylvania to vanquish a demon from a family's home.
Director: Michael Chaves
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy, Rebecca Calder, Elliot Cowan, Kíla Lord Cassidy, Beau Gadsdon
Release Date: September 5, 2025
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Rated R for bloody/violent content and terror.
Runtime: 2h 15m
Review:
The Conjuring: Last Rites is a perfectly capable horror film that brings more than enough well-placed jump scares to please those looking for a fright but as a series capper for the franchise its far too uneven to reach the heights of the first two films. Michael Chaves second time behind the camera is a noticeable step up from 2021's The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. This is a more polished and confident entry that captures the retro look and feels that made the original film so effective. He sets up the scares capably with some set pieces being far more memorable than others, the wedding dress mirror room sequence serving as a high point. Issues being to arise as each sequence begins to follow a predictable set up, building tension before the jump scare occurs. They are effective to an extent, but the script seems dead set on throwing every single haunting/possession trope at the wall as we're given burning crosses, doomed priest, uncontrollable vomiting from teenage girls, levitation and possessed toys. It might have made for a funhouse finale had it been more focused on that aspect, but the script has the dual task of trying to give the Warren’s as characters a sense of closure and legacy. Sadly, that story thread is much clunkier and uneven as it saps the film of any forward momentum the frightful set pieces had provided beforehand. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga wear these characters like a second skin by this point, and their authentic chemistry together still pops onscreen. Their characters just exude an earnestness that's served as the lifeblood for the series. They aren't given as much time as you'd want since the central case and their stories run on parallel paths which take far too long to converge. Mia Tomlinson and Ben Hardy are solid as the Warren's daughter and her finance, but their characters aren't fleshed out enough to make them all that interesting or engaging. It’s a similar story with the Smurl family members who are little more than caricatures as opposed to fleshed out characters. All the side characters end up taking away from the central duo, who should have been the film's primary focus. A chaotic, frenetic finale can't save The Conjuring: Last Rites from being a middle of the road horror film that's trying to do too many things at once.
C
