The Conjuring: Last Rites – Movie Review

When a horror franchise reaches its fourth main installment, the challenge becomes maintaining freshness while honoring what made it special. "The Conjuring: Last Rites" faces this daunting task head-on, promising to close the book on Ed and Lorraine Warren's supernatural investigations. Directed by Michael Chaves and starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, this film attempts to deliver both nostalgic satisfaction and genuine scares.

The story centers on the Warrens taking on one last terrifying case involving mysterious entities they must confront. Set against the backdrop of what appears to be their most personal and dangerous investigation yet, the film explores themes of legacy, sacrifice, and the toll that years of confronting evil has taken on this devoted couple. Without revealing crucial plot points, the narrative structure feels more intimate than previous entries, focusing on the Warrens' relationship as much as the supernatural threat they face.

A Franchise Finding New Ground

Michael Chaves, who has directed three previous entries in the franchise, brings visual changes from the James Wan days, with most of the film shot using handheld cameras and shallow focus, creating what feels like a more grounded, documentarian approach. This stylistic shift works surprisingly well, making even familiar scares feel fresh and immediate.

Patrick Wilson's Ed Warren has evolved considerably since the first film. Here, Wilson portrays a man weathered by years of spiritual warfare, carrying the weight of countless encounters with darkness. His performance balances vulnerability with determination, showing an Ed who questions whether he has the strength for one more battle. Vera Farmiga's Lorraine remains the emotional core of the franchise, and her portrayal here feels both familiar and renewed. Farmiga brings layers of exhaustion and resilience to Lorraine, making her psychic gift feel more like a burden than ever before.

The supporting cast, including Mia Tomlinson and Ben Hardy, provides solid performances that ground the supernatural elements in believable human drama. The film is based on the supposed haunting of the Smurl family, and these actors successfully convey a family under siege without falling into typical horror movie victim stereotypes.

Technical Mastery Meets Emotional Depth

Chaves builds tightly knotted tension through effective foreshadowing and several complex sequences, demonstrating growth as a director within this universe. The horror setpieces feel earned rather than obligatory, with each scare serving the larger narrative rather than existing purely for shock value.

The production design deserves particular praise for creating environments that feel lived-in rather than constructed solely for frightening purposes. Sound design remains crucial to the film's success, using silence as effectively as screams to build atmosphere. Cinematographically, the handheld approach creates intimacy during character moments while amplifying chaos during supernatural encounters.

Facing Franchise Fatigue

Despite its strengths, "Last Rites" cannot completely escape the constraints of being a fourth entry in an established series. Certain story beats feel predictable to longtime fans, and some scares rely too heavily on franchise callbacks rather than forging new territory. The film also struggles with pacing in its middle act, where character development sometimes slows momentum rather than enhancing it.

Additionally, while the focus on the Warrens' relationship adds emotional depth, it occasionally comes at the expense of developing the supernatural threat itself. Some viewers may find the evil entity less memorable than previous franchise antagonists, though this seems like a deliberate choice to prioritize human drama over monster movie theatrics.

A Satisfying Farewell?

"The Conjuring: Last Rites" succeeds primarily as a character study wrapped in supernatural horror. Wilson and Farmiga's chemistry remains the franchise's greatest asset, and their performances here feel like a genuine farewell to these characters they've inhabited for over a decade. The film has grossed $421.1 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise, suggesting audiences are responding positively to this final chapter.

Michael Chaves demonstrates that he understands what made these films special while bringing his own voice to the material. The result is a horror film that respects its predecessors while standing on its own merits.

For fans of the franchise, "Last Rites" provides satisfying closure to the Warren saga. For newcomers, it offers effective supernatural horror grounded in believable relationships. While it may not reinvent the genre, it reminds us why these characters and this world have remained compelling for so many years.

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SRESTHA ROY - AUTHOR

Srestha is a film writer who explores cinema through sharp reviews, insightful news, and in-depth features. From the magic of the big screen to behind-the- scenes stories, she brings readers closer to the art and industry of film.