The Conjuring: Last Rites marks the ninth film in a cinematic universe that’s been ongoing for about twelve years now. As the title suggests, paranormal investigators Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) and Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson) return for one last job. At least, that’s how Warner Bros. is marketing it. Ironically, The Conjuring: Last Rites comes out just a week ahead of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. Tonally, these two films couldn’t be more different, but both have one thing in common. They promise a sense of finality, delivering it to an extent. Yet, neither feels like a definitive ending per se.
Maybe this will be the last we see of Farmiga and Wilson as these characters. Annabelle and the Nun can keep this franchise going as long as it’s profitable, however. Like Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, The Conjuring: Last Rites plays more like a passing of the torch than the last chapter. While Ed and Lorraine remain the heart, more focus is given to their daughter Judy, who Sterling Jerins and Mckenna Grace played in the previous films. Here, relative newcomer Mia Tomlinson gives what might be a breakthrough role as Judy, who has inherited her mother’s gift/curse.
Judy now has a boyfriend named Tony (Ben Hardy), who buys into her family’s paranormal stories. So, we thankfully don’t need to sit through a subplot where Tony must see to believe. That’s not to say there aren’t other skeptics out there. Some members of the Smurl family are initially hesitant to believe that an old mirror brought into their house is haunted. Once people start levitating off their beds and dolls spring to life, though, who ya gonna call? Not the Ghostbusters, although we are reminded several times that this film takes place in the 80s. Kind of a missed opportunity that a Care Bear never gets possessed.
The Warrens eventually make it to the Smurl household. By that point, though, there’s only about forty minutes left in the runtime. The first two Conjuring movies took their time establishing a bond between the Warrens and the families they helped. The Warrens and Smurls meet a little too late in Last Rites. There’s also one too many members of the Smurl family to keep track of, with some disappearing for parts of the film. Rebecca Calder, who plays the Smurl matriarch, mentions that it would be too expensive for her family to leave. Would a Motel 6 really be that costly for eight people, however?
While the Smurls leave something to be desired, the scenes involving the Warrens are full of charm, even when exorcising demonic presences. Some of the scares might be familiar, but director Michael Chaves stages several effectively tense sequences, most notably a wedding dress fitting in a hall of mirrors. The film even manages to deliver a creepy projectile vomit scene, which usually fall flat when compared to The Exorcist. The Conjuring has never been on the same level as the original The Exorcist, although as far as franchises go, this one has been more consistent. I won’t spoil whether a subplot involving Ed’s heart condition amounts to anything, but let’s just say, the door is always open if Wilson and Farmiga ever wish to return. Whether or not this is truly the goodbye, The Conjuring: Last Rites will satisfy longtime fans. For that, it deserves a moment of silence.