THE CONJURING: LAST RITES (2025) Review

Review

This week, the highest grossing franchise in horror history – The Conjuring – returns to cinemas for what could well be its swan song. Ominously titled Last Rites, Michael Chaves second outing as director on the flagship title carries huge weight as it arrives in cinemas. As stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga look to move on from playing Ed and Lorraine Warren. The franchise finds itself lamenting its heroes in a tense but saccharine finale.

It’s been four years since the release of The Devil Made Me Do It and despite talk of a “Phase 2” this latest film certainly feels like an ending. Perhaps The Conjuring will live on. But after this it certainly won’t be starring real-life ghost busting husband and wife team of Ed and Lorraine Warren. So it seems fitting that The Conjuring: Last Rites focusses on a case which seemingly put an end to their prolific career. Albeit with plenty of creative license in a story by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and James Wan.

Clocking in at a franchise record of 135 minutes The Conjuring: Last Rites packs a suitcase full of storyline to wrap things up. Often distracted by tying up the loose ends of the Warren family, the film could certainly be accused of throwing absolutely everything at the screen. Part family drama. Part horror. It exemplifies everything which has made the franchise such a huge success. But never succeeds to shake off the demons which have also threatened to derail that success.

To root the story of Last Rites in the history of the Warren family we open in a flashback to the night their daughter Judy was born. It just so happens her birth was brought about during what was Ed and Lorraine’s first ever case. A antique store owner who had committed suicide out-of-the-blue, seemingly under the duress of a rather ominous looking mirror. Whatever spirit was lurking there manages to send Lorraine into a problematic labour which plays out with both tragic and miraculous results. It serves as a strong reminder just how connected the audience has become with Ed and Lorraine.

In the present, picking up five years after the events of The Devil Made Me Do It, the Warren’s have scaled back their investigations. With Ed’s health declining they’re touring college campuses in the hope of sharing their experiences with the next generation. Only it’s the mid-1980s and nobody seems to care. With Ghostbusters having been a blockbuster success ghosts aren’t quite the terrifying presence they once were. After a particularly unsuccessful lecture the Warrens meet with the now adult Judy (Mia Tomlinson) for dinner. But events take a turn when Lorraine has a vision suggesting a dark presence looms over their daughter.

Meanwhile in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, the Smurl family is preparing for second daughter Heather’s (Kíla Lord Cassidy) confirmation. The family of eight lives a simple, god-faring life in their double-block home. But when Heather’s grandparents gift her the ominous looking mirror from our earlier flashback, life begins to get complicated. It starts simply. The electricity begins to flicker. The odd strange shadow lurks in corners. But soon things escalate in to a full demonic possession of their humble home.

Much of The Conjuring: Last Rites’ first half is about setting a course on bringing these two storylines together. Though the two families are entirely separate from each other, their journeys are somewhat similar. Chaves direction works hard to portray two sets of loving parents between the Warrens and the Smurls. Putting daughters in danger on both sides of the line helps make their eventual crossing over more natural. I hate to say it’s all about family but it’s true. Last Rites succeeds in no small part due to how well its plays on those ideas.

There’s a lot of story to get through before these families come head-to-head however. Though it all coalescences in to a huge finale. The subplots around Ed’s heart condition and Judy’s engagement to boyfriend Tony (Ben Hardy) take a little too long to get going. It’s an easy trap which many finales have fallen in to. After 12 years there’s a lot of love for this cast and these characters. It’s abundantly clear that everyone involved wants to do justice in saying goodbye to all of it. Unfortunately it elongates the first half of the film before the horror really gets going. But does highlight just how well it builds tension and uses its scares to keep the film buoyant when they do appear.

Interestingly this is just the calm before the storm as the second half is the polar opposite. With the haunting of the Smurl house of control the Warrens find themselves unable to stay away. Giving them a reason to travel to Pittston is simple enough. With Judy now in mortal danger the cast all comes together and Chaves begins to throw everything but the kitchen sink at the screen. For the most part it works. There’s a marked sense of escalation as secrets are revealed and the Warren’s begin to get a handle on things. But there are still moments when Last Rites goes just a touch too far. A scene featuring Annabelle offers up a cool visual. But has no precedent in the style of haunting in the Smurl household.

It certainly lives up to the idea of traumatising the Warren’s into retirement. But the execution lacks a little finesse which could an erred on the side of emotional trauma over supernatural terror. That being said, as the final act continues to try and one-up itself it’s certainly entertaining to watch. As is traditional for the franchise the mix of practical and visual effects is sublime. From rivers of blood to demonic creatures. The Conjuring: Last Rites is certainly not an experience which will easily be forgotten.

Verdict

The Conjuring: Last Rites is fitting finale for Ed and Lorraine Warren. Whilst it’s overly romantic in saying goodbye to Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. It’s still a relentlessly tense and emotional rollercoaster ride.

⭐⭐⭐⭐