The first Conjuring film came out in 2013 and has gone on to spawn eight films that continue and expand upon the story of Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), as well as the demonic antagonists they’ve encountered throughout their careers. The latest film, The Conjuring: Last Rites, is the last that will focus entirely on Ed and Lorraine and is based on the last case the two ever took part in. Something that came as a surprise to me was finding out that Last Rites is the fifth highest grossing horror film ever. Ever!
Now, I do get that sometimes that’s just how the cards fall and a franchise can build up success to the point where the better films don’t actually get the box office accolades that they may deserve, but I have to think that the selling of this as the final case may have brought older fans who may have fallen off The Conjuring Universe wagon back to see how it ends? I’m not exactly sure, but I do know that out of the now nine films in the Conjuring-verse, I’d argue – in my opinion – that they’re batting just about 50% in terms of quality movies. The first two films are top tier James Wan horror and handle everything right, and Annabelle Comes Home is a fun ride through a haunted house, and Annabelle: Creation also lands above the bar; however, both The Nun films, Annabelle, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It leave something to be desired.
Where does Last Rites land? Honestly, I’d say right in the middle, but at the bottom of the pile for those on the positive side. It’s not bad, but it has some pacing issues, the new family that’s being haunted have no depth. I do get that they’re not who the story is about and are truly just pawns in it all, but they’re still just a family of generic nobodies and I don’t even recall one of their names. They’re just a family being haunted by something sinister. There’s also Tony Spera (Ben Hardy), who is Judy Warren’s (Mia Tomlinson) boyfriend. He’s just around, trying to win over Ed’s approval, and he’s given a backstory that is delayed in its reveal like it should have some impact when it actually is, but it’s just a regular story in the end that doesn’t really add anything anywhere.
I do get that these are real people and I have to think that Tony was around during this final exorcism and that’s why he’s included, or maybe creative liberties were taken (although using the word creative here is being generous) and their use of “based on a true story” is the usual take where something vaguely similar happened and the rest is fiction and they simply put him into the mix to up the stakes, but we’ve seen countless times over in horror movies that resonate having characters that resonate and connect with audiences is an incredibly important cog to be missing in the machine.
I know, I know, people go to these movies for the scares, but the better horror films out there have both quality scares and characters we actually care about. That’s where the first two Conjuring films do things right and where the majority of the rest of the franchise falls off the rails. But, okay, characters aside, how are the scares? I’d say they’re an improvement over the duds in the series, but there are still quite a few drawn out moments that lead to the jump scare that you’re not at all shocked by and instead would prefer to do without.
Jump scares are a part of the genre and completely acceptable when done well, but the films in this franchise have a habit of spending 30 seconds to a minute with a character slowly walking around all while we wait for them to turn the light on, see nothing was there, then turn around to whatever eventually scares them. I think the problem with The Conjuring Universe is that there are so many of these movies now that all follow the same formula and were written by the same screenwriter that it feels like we’re just going through the motions as a viewer when those instances happen. There’s no surprise of what’s to come so there’s no scare when it inevitably does.
The Conjuring: Last Rites has some creepy moments (not scary, but creepy), and I believe that younger audiences will find it scarier than more seasoned viewers – mostly for the reasons stated above – but when you’re hitting the ninth film in a franchise (10th if you count The Curse of La Llorona, which isn’t directly connected to the Warrens so people don’t, but it still follows the same paint-by-numbers scare book) everything begins to wear a little thin if you don’t have any solid characters for the audience to get behind beyond the potential scares.
The film also suffers from a pretty anticlimactic climax, which is unfortunate, as they start the film by introducing the case as the one where they went up against the most powerful evil they’ve encountered yet. One that devastated the Warren family, which is why it was their final case. I’ll admit, that does a pretty good job of selling things and getting the viewer on board with a few lines of text. I was intrigued how this final encounter would play out with a lead-in like that, but over two hours later I feel we’re left with an incredibly mediocre showdown for what it was hyped up to be. Sure, there’s at least one moment that’ll make you cringe, but as a whole I felt like I was promised something that never came to be, and a battle that…well, wasn’t one.
As I continue to write this I do feel that I’ve been overly negative and that’s because it’s easier to explain what could’ve done better than to glow about things it did right because the things it did right are just the status quo, such as having a few well timed creepy moments that strayed away from the jump scare trope, as well as successfully delivering a creepy atmospheric feel throughout. In the end, The Conjuring: Last Rites is an okay conclusion to the franchise that could’ve been handled better, but also could’ve been worse.
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
Visually, this is an incredibly solid looking, atmospheric horror flick that shines in 4K through this 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision transfer. There’s no arguing that these films should be viewed in 4K whenever possible, as there are times that are meant to be chilling and they’re are often hidden subtly in the shadows. If you’re streaming a film like this than the odds are much higher that muddying will take away the impact that 4K allows those moments to have. The ambiance and cinematography all work so much better with this strong visual transfer, as do the smaller demonic details in the dark. As a whole, if you’re going to watch the movie, this 4K disc is the way to do it.
That also goes for the audio side of things, as the Dolby Atmos mix places viewers right in the middle of the storm, be it literal or demonic. While the paint-by-numbers drawn out jump scare scenes have lost their appeal, it’s still fun to hear a creak in the floor off to the left speaker behind you, and then something drop onto the floor with a thud over in the other corner. While it’s great to be fully emersed in all types of movies, something about the horror genre and a great Atmos mix just pulls you right in to the fun.
Special Features:
Last Rites: An Era Ends – This is an almost 9-minute featurette that touches on some of the earlier movies while mainly focusing on the final installment. Now, I say this already knowing that there are going to be plenty more Conjuring-verse entries (including an apparent prequel in the woodworks) and that this just wraps up the tail end of Ed and Lorraine’s story.
The Conjuring: Crafting Scenes – This is another almost 9-minute featurette that focuses more on the visuals that the franchise is known for. It’s nothing that we haven’t seen before from these extras, but there aren’t many here, so fans may want to check it out regardless.
Michael Chaves: Believer – Lastly we’ve got a 7-minute featurette that sees Director Michael Chaves as the central focus, his contributions to the horror genre overall, and such.
Disclaimer: A review copy of this Blu-ray was sent to me to cover in honest and truthful fashion.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents The Conjuring: Last Rites. Directed By: Michael Chaves. Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Mia Thomlinson, Ben Hardy, Steve Coulter, Rebecca Calder, Orion Smith, Madison Lawlor, Beau Gadsdon, Kíla Lord Cassidy. Running time: 135 Minutes. Rating: R. Released on 4K Blu-ray: Nov. 25, 2025.
