The Conjuring: Last Rites is a tale of two movies. One of them is the terrifying, demons versus exorcists story fans have come to outright love from the series. The other is a slow, family-centered yarn that feels like it’s setting up future sequels rather than committing to being the final chapter of a multipart narrative. These two pieces don’t necessarily communicate with each other all that well, and as the final product moves towards its stunning conclusion there’s convincing evidence that Last Rites isn’t as definitive an end as the trailers suggested.
Directed by Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona, The Nun II), Last Rites is based on the Smurl family haunting that extended from the mid-1970s to the late 80s. By the Warrens’ own admission (again played by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson), this case almost broke them and even put their daughter Judy (played by Mia Tomlinson) in danger.
This time around, Judy’s all grown up and in a series relationship with an ex-cop called Tony (played by Ben Hardy). The boyfriend will be put to the test in ways he didn’t expect as he’ll be forced to navigate the ins and outs of the family business. On top of that, Judy is struggling with ghostly visions of her own, putting Tony in the all too convenient position of continuing the Warrens’ ghostbusting legacy should he decide stay (though there’s never a hint he’s even considering running away from all this).
Unlike the previous three entries, Last Rites pushes its ghosts to the back of the line. This is Judy’s movie. It’s structured around the awakening of her abilities, which her mom had tried to keep bottled up so she didn’t have to suffer a life spent around dead people and demonic forces.
In a sense, it’s a coming-of-age story under parental supervision. Judy isn’t rebellious or angsty. She adores and admires her parents. This leads to the realization that she should perhaps embrace her gift rather than try to shut it out. It’s here where the movie makes the not-so-subtle shift towards presenting Judy and Tony as the heirs of the Conjuring franchise.
Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of pacing and terror. For Judy to shine, the Smurls are basically relegated to narrative device status. They’re only there to build towards a finale where the Warrens somewhat pass the baton to the new generation. It’s unfortunate because the haunting itself is very effective. The ghosts and their backstory showcase enough ugliness to give the Enfield Haunting and the Perron Family Haunting from the first two Conjuring movies a run for their money.
Chaves has a good eye for frightening imagery. The paranormal threats here, often bathed in dark reds that evoke thick blood, look menacing and evil. One in particular has a deeply sinister laugh that accompanies his attempts at hurting women whenever he gets the chance. Their designs are simply terrifying and they don’t go overboard with them, nor do they delve into monstrosity. They fit the universe James Wan created. It’s a shame we only get to see them a handful of times. There was so much terror they could’ve inflicted on audiences.
This isn’t to say that Judy’s sequences are devoid of the paranormal. They’re just not as effective as the ones in the Smurl house. An example of this is the misuse of one of the franchise’s most popular figures: Annabelle. She has more appearances than she should and is even the focus of one of the film’s weakest scenes. It feels like an unnecessary attempt at crowd-pleasing, thus out of place and cheap.
Wilson and Farmiga do an amazing job as the Warrens, which is to be expected. They’re certainly not sidelined, but their worry over Judy does keep them from venturing into newer and exciting territory. Of the two, Wilson gets the bigger role. His character is told early his heart is quite weak and can’t handle another stroke, which puts the possibility of another encounter with the demonic on thin ice. Dealing with his daughter’s new boyfriend just adds to the stress, something he takes the lead on as he plays the father that’s hard to impress.
So, how much of a goodbye is Last Rites for the Conjuring series? Not a very definitive one, that’s for sure. The movie is very invested in giving audiences a light at the end of the franchise tunnel. Judy and Tony emerge as a strong enough replacement for Ed and Lorraine in future movies, and each performance is convincing enough to argue they could carry a movie on their own. It’s just disappointing that a better Conjuring movie couldn’t be made in the process to start the transition. No real goodbyes here. More of a thinly veiled ‘to be continued.’
