Intensity: 🩸🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸 (For top-notch jump scares)
Directed by Michael Chaves
Written by Iain Goldberg, Richard Niang, and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
The Conjuring: Last Rites is another solid entry into the Warren Saga. Once again, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are on point as Lorraine and Ed Warren, providing grounded and passionate performances. The film is once again loaded with first-rate jump scares and fantastic period piece production design. The ghost story this time out is a muddled mess, though, and some of the secondary characters feel forced, preventing it from achieving the greatness of the first entry in the franchise.
The Warrens are always worth watching. They are humble and dedicated semi-sanctioned exorcists. Twelve years after releasing the original Conjuring film, Wilson and Farmiga can reliably deliver an intense ghost-chasing story.
“Based on a True Story!” boldly proclaims the film’s tagline. That is a proud Conjuring tradition, as the real Warrens documented many of their investigations. The claims are some of the strongest elements in the Conjuring movies, but in this case, the real story may have some components that confuse the plot, to a degree. This particular case is of the Smurl family of Pittsfield, Pennsylvania. In the long history of the Warren’s cases, this one was a trial that was deemed unresolved by our protagonists. This movie explores some of the elements of the actual case, but essentially, the events adhere to the reported happenings.
The most significant adjustment is that the movie connected this case to an incident early in the Warrens’ careers, which traumatized Ed and Lorraine so much that they dared not investigate the haunt after a harrowing encounter. This involved complications with the birth of their Daughter Judy. Fans of the Annabelle franchise will remember that Judy plays a significant role in Annabelle Comes Home, and for this movie, they swapped out the actresses playing Judy.
The Cast of The Conjuring: Last Rites
- Patrick Wilson, once again, plays Ed Warren, a true ghost hunter who has retired from the business of chasing ghosts. For now.
- Vera Farmiga returns as Lorraine Warren, the empathic half of the Warren couplet. Lorraine can sense the presence of spirits, whereas Ed is the responder.
- Mia Tomlinson is Judy Warren, Lorraine and Ed’s only child. She’s now about to get married to…
- Ben Hardy, who plays Tony Spera, a former cop who asks permission to marry Judy.
- Steve Coulter is back to play Father Gordon, a Catholic priest and a long-time ally of the Warrens.
- Rebecca Calder plays Janet Smurl, the matriarch of the ghost besieged Smurl family.
- Elliot Cowan plays Jack Smurl, the father of the Smurl family.
- Beau Gadsdon plays Dawn Smurl, the eldest Smurl Daughter.
- Kila Lord Cassidy plays Heather Smurl, who recently went through a Catholic confirmation ceremony.
- Molly Cartwright plays Carin Smurl, a young twin daughter.
- Tilly Walker plays Carin Smurl, Molly’s twin sister.
- Peter Wight plays Grandpa Smurl.
- Kate Fahey plays Grandma Smurl.
A Synopsis of The Conjuring: Last Rites
In a flashback to 1964, we meet the Warrens as a young couple, just beginning their paranormal pursuits. They are interviewing a woman who works in an antique store, where she blames a mirror for the death of her father. When they investigate, a pregnant Lorraine touches the mirror, which summons a demonic presence that forces her into labor. Baby Judy is almost a stillborn victim, but by luck (or by prayer), she is given life, and Ed and Lorraine abandon this powerful, cursed item investigation.
Twenty-two years later, Ed and Lorraine have now retired from hunting ghosts and demons. Ed now has a heart condition, and we know that Lorraine has, over the course of four films, been tormented horrifically. No one would blame them for hanging it up. They work the lecture circuit, attracting fans of Ghostbusters and small audiences. Judy has grown up and returned to Connecticut to visit them, where her boyfriend, Tony, proposes. All is well with the Warrens. For now.
Meanwhile, the Smurl family, a lower-middle-income family in Pittsfield, Pennsylvania, has unwittingly brought the mirror home after purchasing it at an estate sale. It is a confirmation gift for their daughter, Heather. Immediately, the forces within the mirror strike. The evil within the mirror summons three ghosts who are linked to the property. As is customary for this trope, the ghosts start with small stuff. Moving objects around, breaking lamps, and being a general nuisance. Heather and Dawn put the mirror out for garbage pickup, but that forces the spirits to become violent.
Long-time ally of the Warrens, Father Gordon comes to assist the Smurls. He immediately realizes the amount of evil in the house, but becomes a victim and a conduit for the demon. Through Gordon, Judy is summoned to the house, which eventually brings Ed and Lorraine out of retirement to rescue Judy. It’s Warren time! Can they save Judy? Can they banish the evil? Will the Smurls get smart and get out? That’s what third acts are for…
The Excellence of Conjuring Jump Scares:
The Conjuring series has always been one of the BEST franchises for quality jump scares. The movies manage to achieve R ratings despite lacking most of the triggers that typically earn an R rating, such as minimal gore, little profanity, and no nudity or sexual content. Simply put, these movies earn their restricted status by being really intense and bringing excellent jump scares.
The Conjuring: Last Rites continues the proud tradition. Interestingly, this film front-loads most of its jump scares. James Wan mastered this craft. Michael Chaves has proven he, too, can deliver the audience screams. My podcast partner, Mike Campbell, is well-known for his impatience. This time, he audibly shouted during one of the jumps. Watch this with someone who scares easily. That alone will keep you entertained for a while.
However, these scares are perhaps less integral to the story than the first Conjuring, for example. In Last Rites, the ghosts pop up at the perfect moments. They are the rough equivalent of somebody jumping out from behind an object and shouting “GOTCHA!” Honestly, it works. Cheap scares? Yes. One of the drawbacks of this scare methodology is that you only get a quick glimpse of the villains.
The Diminishing Returns of the Franchise
Two things need to work perfectly for the optimal Conjuring franchise movie. We know that Wilson and Farmiga are solid gold. They will be a constant. Steve Coulter is a reliable secondary player. The “based on a true story” routine holds up better for this franchise than most others. Most audiences are aware that the Warrens were also involved with Amityville, and I admire Warner Bros. for not going to that house. It’s been done to death, literally and figuratively.
What will elevate a Conjuring story is a relatable family in peril and a solid backstory about the haunts. In this regard, Last Rites is adequate. The Smurls are a scrappy lot. Like many of the previous families, they are a tight-knit group. Because they are relatively poor, and there are so many of them, they won’t leave home. Unfortunately, we don’t spend as much time with them as we should. Think of the Perron family in the first movie. We fell in love with them. We knew them. With the Smurls, it’s more of a surface treatment. This movie feels like a story hinging on Ed, Lorraine, Judy, and Tony. The Smurls end up being strangers in their own home.
The ghost story here is underwhelming. It has the bones of something terrific. The return of the mirror demon held great promise. Unfortunately, there was a second layer of villainous spirits, and the pecking order and the motivations for the spirits were often confusing. Perhaps this story is closer to the actual case, but it made for an unfocused enemy. True, the events and actions, particularly in the third act, were wild and harrowing, but they lacked the power of motivation.
Also, Judy felt like an extended red herring. I wasn’t buying her connection to the demon, or if the demon really was trying to reclaim her, it was subtext and not a clear through-line. Such is the issue when the other ghosts are layered on top. Also, clearly, when Judy gets imperiled, the Warrens should have left the Smurls’ house… particularly if Judy was the target all along.
Concluding Thoughts
The Conjuring: Last Rights is a well-crafted and scary movie. It is at its best in the non-scary bits. Tony and Judy’s wedding. The Funeral. Tony’s proposal to Judy. Ed, Lorraine, and Judy are at the restaurant. The acting shines through in these moments. Little moments with Wilson and Farmiga exchanging knowing looks. Or when Tony awkwardly tries to get permission to marry Judy. These are really fun bits, particularly since we know the primary players so well. Oddly enough, even though the scary moments are truly frightening, they feel less intimate. We don’t know the ghosts well. We don’t really get to know the Smurls much.
The movie clearly sets up to be a final chapter for Ed and Lorraine. The wedding scene is a clincher. In the post-credit scroll, the history of the Warrens is spelled out, a true epilogue. However, the movie earned BANK. Two weeks in the theaters, and to date it has already earned $356,678,705 worldwide. 2025 has been very good to horror movies at the box office, particularly Warner Bros.
The Conjuring: Last Rites is currently in wide release and will likely be in the cinemas for a few more weeks as Halloween approaches. For fans of the franchise, this is an excellent send-off for Ed and Lorraine… or at least for Wilson and Farmiga. Given the box office success of this movie so far, it is likely that more Warren movies will be made. Perhaps the younger versions (Orion Smith and Madison Lawlor) will ultimately carry the torch in the prequels.