The Conjuring: Last Rites, 2025.
Directed by Michael Chaves.
Starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy, Rebecca Calder, Elliot Cowan, Shannon Kook, Steve Coulter, Kíla Lord Cassidy, Beau Gadsdon, Tilly Walker, Molly Cartwright, Leigh Jones, John Brotherton, Peter Wight, Kate Fahy, Orion Smith, Madison Lawlor, Tony Spera, and Judy Warren.
SYNOPSIS:
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren take on one last terrifying case involving mysterious entities they must confront.
The year is 1986, and whatever fascination (whether it be honest curiosity or handwaving away them as quacks) the general public had with the pioneers of paranormal investigation, Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), has drifted to lighter fare, such as a particularly popular Ivan Reitman film about busting ghosts. That bit of context for director Michael Chaves’ (once again taking over for James Wan), The Conjuring: Last Rites, is intriguing, considering the story here involves a case that ended their careers.
Yes, this extended universe (comprising Annabelle and The Nun movies, with one decent film among the five, alongside a forgotten spinoff that is apparently no longer considered canon) has been around for 12 years, spanning multiple generations of characters. However, it’s still a bit out of left field to be closing the book on the franchise. If anything, it’s an admission of defeat that no one ever really figured out how to make this universe work without the Warrens. Even then, the switch from James Wan to Michael Chaves for the third Conjuring film also felt like a low mark in what had mainly become nothing but disposable, forgettable attempts to cash in on the franchise name.
The strongest comparison is if the majority of us wandered into the next Marvel movie, unaware that it was the definitive end to everything. The Conjuring legacy (barring whatever inevitable legacy sequel comes out down the road), as of now, seems destined to be an exciting, novel universe idea that was not only mishandled, but also as if the Warrens themselves never fully got there due as a compelling family that had so much baked in “true story” personal drama and unusual cases that these movies never even needed to make the leap into overblown horror repeatedly shattering not only illusions of realism, but undercutting the chilling narratives themselves in the process.
Pre-ending credits text mentions that the Warrens were in the public eye for paranormal investigations at a time when such a thing primarily invited ridicule. Not to deny the craftsmanship in the spooky spectacle, but it’s as if these movies are also afraid they will receive the same ridicule if they are presented grounded and seriously. There’s an inability on behalf of Michael Chaves, especially, to trust how inherently compelling these stories are. The Warrens allegedly investigated thousands of paranormal cases and have an entire room dedicated to housing cursed objects, ensuring they never escape into the world to possess anyone else. Reducing that to four movies is essentially franchise negligence and, again, a case of mismanagement. Warner Bros. is ending the story of the Warrens. Quite frankly, disregarding the first two great films (which are still not free of my issues with the series), there is reason to question how much any of us actually got to know them.
So when a premise arises that the Warrens are no longer perceived as hip in some circles, specifically pointing to cultural signifiers such as Ghostbusters and a changing of the times (even The Exorcist was likely starting to feel dated to some in favor of the slasher genre), it’s also mildly disappointing that it takes a direction into becoming another movie about another case that once again drops the ball on portraying these real people inside a larger portrait of the world.
The upside is that Michael Chaves (working from a screenplay by Ian B. Goldberg, Richard Naing, and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick) has been studying how to mimic the style of James Wan (who is credited as contributing to the story), whether it be camera panning or interactions that aren’t what they appear to be, such as a mom under the impression that her twin daughters are pulling on a phone cord, when it’s actually something lurking in the darkness of a nearby room (the segment calls to mind the hide-and-seek sequence from the first film). There are also numerous suicide hangings, hallucinations, and hellish encounters with demons.
Still monitoring a stressed heart, Ed (and Lorraine) are no longer in the game searching for those demons and helping frightened families, typically contacted through the church and their good friend Fr. Gordon (Steve Coulter). Once again, some of the strongest moments here come from observing this family, particularly their relationship with now-grown-up daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson), who appears to be clairvoyant like her mother, who was instructed on how to block it out from a young age with closed eyes and a nursery rhyme. Judy is also eager to bring her former police officer boyfriend, Tony (Ben Hardy), around more, including to Ed’s birthday party. And while Tony doesn’t know the full extent of Judy’s visions and clairvoyance, he, thankfully, isn’t the clichéd type to write her off as crazy in need of a horrifying experience to believe her. Their connection is earnest, offering some genuine emotional moments.
Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, a family is haunted by numerous demons, using an antique mirror (featuring creepy baby faces at the top) as a conduit. This is also a unique cursed object compared to, say, a doll. It makes for a climactic fright fest battle against the possessed that is simultaneously inventive and silly. Mileage varies depending on how one reacts to the extent to which this becomes over the top, although the creativity is there and worth applauding. The problem is that the film is so focused on pushing the plot forward and working in scares that it’s difficult to comment on who these people are beyond being a religious family with a father who has bad luck and bought the wrong mirror for his teenage daughter.
It also bears repeating that whenever The Conjuring: Last Rites attempts to be scary (which is often, as the film tries too hard most of the time), interest is lost. That’s not a knock against the thoughtful camera movements and mirror reflections from cinematographer Eli Born, who tries to bait viewers into a jump scare, or the unsettling score from Benjamin Wallfisch, or the story itself, which is a personal tale about family with dangers directly tied to Judy’s complicated birth. It’s more that Michael Chaves still doesn’t seem to understand when this is all too much, or when to rein in the material and ground it in something more character-driven. As pure entertainment, Last Rites is an entertaining last ride, but much like this entire extended universe, it could have been something much more.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder
