The Conjuring: Last Rites

The Conjuring: Last Rites (R)

Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy

Release Date: September 5, 2025

Runtime: 2 hr. 15 mins.

Genre: Horror

From New Line Cinema comes the ninth entry in the more than $2 billion theatrical Conjuring universe, The Conjuring: Last Rites, directed by franchise veteran Michael Chaves and produced by franchise architects James Wan and Peter Safran.The Conjuring: Last Rites delivers another thrilling chapter of the iconic Conjuring cinematic universe, based on real events. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson reunite for one last case as renowned, real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren in a powerful and spine-chilling addition to the global box office-breaking franchise.

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Review

Is this really the end of The Conjuring franchise? What began as a one-off haunted house movie in 2013 has since spawned sequels and spin-offs at a pace that would make other horror series envious. But as the creative spark faded and many of the original minds moved on, the films have taken on a "been there, done that" quality. Allegedly, Last Rites is the final entry-something the marketing leans heavily into, reinforced in-story by cameos from returning characters. Yet rumors suggest this could be less of a true finale and more of a "passing of the baton" (depending, of course, on box office returns). Personally, I hope that's not the case. This movie makes it clear the series may have already overstayed its welcome.

For the most part, Last Rites is content to recycle elements from earlier entries, rarely offering anything fresh or engaging. Alongside this self-cannibalization, the film indulges in a barrage of homages-The Shining, The Exorcist, and even Final Destination being the most blatant. For much of its runtime, Last Rites runs on autopilot. This marks Michael Chaves' second turn in the director's chair for the series and his earlier outing, The Devil Made Me Do It (installment #3), suffered from many of the same flaws.

The movie delivers a few intense moments, but it rarely achieves anything genuinely frightening. Many of its beats would feel more at home in a thriller than in a true horror film. An undercurrent of dread simmers beneath the surface for much of the runtime, only erupting during the climax. Until then, however, Last Rites is bogged down by uneven pacing and excessive exposition. I usually appreciate a slow-burn approach to horror, but here it's taken to an extreme. There's slow-burn-and then there's no-burn.

We're repeatedly told-both in marketing and the opening crawl-that this is the "most dangerous case ever" taken on by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga): a case so harrowing it shattered their family and drove them into retirement. That claim is largely overblown-even allowing for the usual dramatization of real events. Last Rites draws loosely from the Smurl family haunting (which skeptics, including Paul Kurtz, dismissed as possibly delusional or fraudulent) but quickly abandons authenticity. Of necessity (since this is a horror movie), the screenplay takes it all at face value: a demon terrorizes the Smurl household-Janet (Rebecca Calder), Jack (Elliot Cowan), their children, and extended family. The retired Warrens-along with their daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson) and her fiancé Tony Spera (Ben Hardy)-are dragged into the case when a connection to their past emerges, prompting a lengthy flashback.

The film's first hour trudges through obligatory setup, squandering far too much time on the Smurls-who remain stubbornly two-dimensional and never develop beyond plot devices. Momentum doesn't arrive until a grim turn involving recurring character Father Gordon (Steve Coulter). Remarkably, the Warrens don't even meet the Smurls or set foot in the haunted Pennsylvania house until nearly the 90-minute mark. Almost everything of consequence is crammed into the final hour of this bloated 135-minute runtime.

Stylistically, the film sticks to the franchise's parody-free formula, where everything is Exorcist-grim and moments of levity are scarce. Like James Wan before him, Chaves drenches the story in darkness and dread. The difference is that Wan heightened the terror enough to keep audiences on edge, whereas Chaves' ponderous approach drags the pace and drains the scares. The climactic confrontation lands on an emotional level, but even in the moment, the sheer absurdity of it all is hard to ignore.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga slip back into their roles like a pair of well-worn shoes, though at times they feel more like supporting players than leads. The real injection of energy comes from Mia Tomlinson and Ben Hardy, who display enough chemistry to anchor a future installment should the franchise pass them the spotlight.

I was a fan of the original film and its first sequel, but as with most horror franchises, there's only so much blood to squeeze from a stone. Unfortunately, the series bows out with its weakest entry-a bloated, overhyped epilogue that leans more on clichés and callbacks than anything fresh or inventive. Despite being drenched in atmosphere, Last Rites can't conjure enough genuine scares to fend off the creeping sense of boredom.

© 2025 James Berardinelli

The Conjuring: Last Rites (R)

Review

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