Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return for another (supposedly final) installment in the The Conjuring franchise, which is also a part of the nine-film (so far) Conjuring Universe. Said universe has thus far brought in more than two and a half billion smack-a-roonies, and that number is climbing as we speak. The Conjuring: Last Rites, AKA: The Conjuring 4, has already made close to $350 million at the box office in the wake of its $55 million reported production budget. In other words, there’s still more money to be made, so I highly doubt this will be the end of the franchise. To give proper context, I will preface by giving you my quick thoughts on the first three films: I loved the first one, liked the second a bit less, and was completely disappointed by the third. The Conjuring: Last Rites is a step back up for me.
In their latest adventure, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren show us not only their final case, but also their first, as well as the direct link between the two. We open in 1964 with Ed and Lorraine investigating a haunted object that ends up sending Lorraine to the hospital, resulting in near tragedy and the miraculous birth of their daughter, Judy Warren (Mia Tomlinson). We then time-jump to the mid-1980s, and The Warrens are supposedly long-retired from helping people in person, choosing instead to continue teaching seminars that educate others rather than confronting demons head-on. It is hinted that they’ve retired due to Ed having a heart condition, which is played up multiple times throughout the story in order to make the audience keep wondering if he’s going to croak in the end. But of course, the Warrens are pulled into a case through the Smurl family, who just moved into a home haunted by three spirits.
“…the Warrens are pulled into a case through the Smurl family, who just moved into a home haunted by three spirits.”
While this film, just like all of the others, claims to be “based on a true story,” it’s only really based on the fact that someone made claims of something happening, and then this horror film was created from a highly augmented version of that story. If you want to see what the real Smurl family claims to have happened, there’s a 1991 made-for-TV movie called The Haunted that was written by two of the Smurl family members, along with the Warrens. They also released a book by the same name. But I don’t use this against The Conjuring: Last Rites. I am reviewing just this film, not the Smurl’s previous film, not the book, and not reality.
All in all, The Conjuring: Last Rites is a well-made film. I might even call it the best Conjuring film since the original. It could pass as a great drama if you removed the jump scares and other horror tropes. Speaking of that, I would typically deduct points for using tired tropes, which this film has plenty of, but I think that’s what audiences are expecting from them. You can’t fault a leopard for having spots. If I go to Taco Bell, I’m expecting Taco Bell, not authentic food from Guadalajara. If you’re a fan of the other films in the franchise, definitely go see it.
"…the best Conjuring film since the original."
