Over the past decade, the Conjuring franchise has solidified its position as the go-to paranormal horror franchise. With a solid mix of both engaging characters and stunning shots, Conjuring: Last Rites is surprisingly solid.
Typically, in horror franchises, the decline in quality and audience engagement is a lot more drastic, and while this certainly isn’t the best The Conjuring has ever offered, it serves as a nice send-off to long-standing characters. Between four conjuring films, Annabelle, and yes, even The Nun, it felt important to tighten up with a finale of fan favorite characters.
Especially with it being sold as the last case of Ed and Lorraine Warren, a poor finale could leave what would otherwise be a solid franchise with a bitter end.
Overall, this movie has a lot going for it. With compelling performances from both Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as the film’s lead. The audience can engage in the world through them as they give yet another solid performance in this franchise. It truly felt as if they were not just cashing in their checks and cared about the send-off for these beloved characters.
The film sticks to its Conjuring strengths with a bit more emphasis on character rather than case. It cares so much about these characters and understands that fans are not just looking for a happy ending, but an ending that feels satisfying and conclusive after all these years.
After years of paranormal investigations, the Warrens finally get scared off when it almost costs them the life of their newborn daughter, Judy. The film now has to navigate this tightrope walk of character progression and character assassination. By having this film be sold as their last job, there’s a checklist of moments this movie really has to land as a payoff to fans. Now, if you’re a fan of The Conjuring, this is a double-edged sword. You have this fan service that is both so necessary and quite predictable. With there now being an established Conjuring formula, you get a guaranteed mix of great shot composition, scares, and a suburban American setting sure to immerse you in the film’s haunted house. But where this film can really come short is that it does not subvert or play with the conjuring formula whatsoever.
There are countless scares that follow this formula of high-tension music, leading into a scare just for it to be a brief moment of calming silence. Then an inevitable, quick scare as your guard gets let down.
The film has strong narrative moments carried by its familial theme, and with a compelling thesis of choosing to live and face the challenges of life to conquer evil, as opposed to running from it. Learning that children can teach their parents just as much, these moments made this film worthwhile.
However, heavy metaphorical moments led by strong subtext can really fall flat under any practical scrutiny of the literal plot. If you are the kind of viewer to go “well, why didn’t the ghost do this?” you might struggle to immerse yourself fully in the stronger theming underneath the setting and plot of the film.
Horror fans with a knack for the subtext and meaning of film will enjoy this solid entry into the franchise. With a plethora of engaging film techniques utilized, only strengthened by the film’s legacy and history that it shares with its characters and even directors, as Michael Chaves refined his technique after ‘The Curse of La Llorona’ and the previous Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Both Chaves and the film’s leads make a strong last step across the finish line with what is sure to be remembered as one of Horror’s stronger franchises.