The Conjuring: Last Rites Review: A Spine-Chilling Farewell to the Horror Franchise or Just Another Jump Scare

The Conjuring: Last Rites: True Horror Rooted in the Smurl Nightmare

At its core The Conjuring: Last Rites is a story of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary terror much like the franchise's earlier gems. Set in 1980s Pennsylvania, the film centres on the Smurl family Jack (Ben Hardy) Janet (Rebecca Calder) and their five children who move into a seemingly idyllic split-level home in West Pittston. What starts as creaks and cold spots escalates into full-blown demonic infestation. Levitating beds grotesque apparitions and physical assaults that leave the family battered and broken. Enter Ed and Lorraine Warren the ageing demonologists whose expertise is sought when local priests and police prove powerless.

The screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (returning from The Devil Made Me Do It) weaves in flashbacks to the Warrens' earlier cases reminding us of their storied legacy while building emotional stakes. This isn't just another exorcism tale it's framed as the couple's "last rites" hinting at their own mortality amid the chaos. Lorraine's clairvoyant visions grow more vivid and draining while Ed grapples with the physical toll of battling evil. The Smurls' plight mirrors the Warrens' own family struggles with daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson stepping up from her child role in previous films) now a teenager facing her inherited gifts.

Without spoiling the twists, the narrative cleverly ties into real events the Smurls' ordeal which inspired books and TV specials in the '80s. Jack's scepticism crumbles as his wife Janet endures the brunt of the attacks including profane voices and unexplained injuries. The film smartly avoids over-explaining the demon's origins letting folklore and faith fill the gaps. Clocking in at 112 minutes the pacing is taut for the first two acts blending slow-burn dread with bursts of intensity. However the third act leans heavily on franchise callbacks which might feel repetitive if you're not a die-hard fan.

What elevates the plot is its grounding in authenticity. The Smurl case documented in Jack and Janet's book The Haunted involved claims of rape by an incubus and poltergeist activity that divided the community. Chaves and co. amplify these for cinematic punch but they retain the human cost family rifts media scrutiny and the blur between mental health and the supernatural. In a post-Hereditary world, where horror probes psychological depths Last Rites holds its own by asking. What if the devil doesn't just possess your body but your home and hope. For Indian viewers it echoes the spirit of films like Bhoot or Raat where everyday spaces turn sinister.

Cast and Performances in The Conjuring: Last Rites: Wilson and Farmiga's Emotional Masterclass

No discussion of The Conjuring: Last Rites is complete without bowing to Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson whose portrayals of the Warrens have been the franchise's beating heart. Farmiga's Lorraine is a beacon of quiet strength her wide-eyed visions convey vulnerability without ever tipping into histrionics. In one poignant scene as she navigates a spirit-filled dreamscape Farmiga's subtle tremors and whispered prayers capture the exhaustion of a lifetime fighting shadows. It's her finest hour in the series blending maternal warmth with unyielding faith.

Wilson meanwhile brings a rugged gravitas to Ed the blue-collar exorcist whose bravado masks deep insecurities. Ageing him up with greying temples and a slight limp (nodding to real-life Ed's health woes) Wilson infuses the role with pathos. Their chemistry Electric. Shared glances during rituals speak volumes about a marriage forged in hellfire tender teasing and unbreakable. Critics rave about how the duo "know the exact register of intensity" making even quiet moments pulse with investment.

Direction and Cinematography: Michael Chaves Crafts Atmospheric Dread

Michael Chaves steps up from directing The Nun II and while he's no James Wan (the franchise creator) he proves a capable custodian. The Conjuring: Last Rites boasts a 1980s aesthetic grainy VHS footage wood-panelled walls and Reagan-era clutter that immerses you in the era's analogue unease. Cinematographer Michael McMillin employs wide-angle lenses to distort familiar spaces turning stairwells into vertigo-inducing traps and basements into abyss-like voids.

Chaves excels at spatial horror using the Smurl house's layout like a character itself. Dutch angles and slow dollies build paranoia echoing Wan's playbook but with a grittier edge. The film's colour palette desaturated blues and sickly yellows evokes isolation much like The Witch's folk-horror chill. Editing by Sean Barton keeps the rhythm hypnotic cross-cutting between the Warrens' Connecticut home and Pennsylvania pandemonium for maximum tension.

That said Chaves occasionally over-relies on slow-motion stings a tic from his earlier works. The finale's spectacle involving a multi-room exorcism dazzles with practical effects think thrashing bodies and flickering candles but lacks the innovative flair of The Conjuring's music-box opener. Still for a mid-budget horror ($75 million) the production design by Hannah Alpert nails the lived-in decay from peeling wallpaper to bloodstained carpets. Indian audiences accustomed to Stree's clever low-fi scares will appreciate how Chaves maximises shadows over CGI excess.

The Scares and Sound Design in The Conjuring: Last Rites: Jump Scares Done Right (Mostly)

Horror lives or dies by its frights and Last Rites packs a punch though not always a fresh one. The jump scares are the franchise's hallmark: sudden door slams whispering voices from vents and that infamous clapping game twisted into nightmare fuel. Chaves deploys them judiciously at first lulling you with ambient dread a child's laughter echoing from nowhere or footsteps pacing an empty attic.

Joseph Bishara's score with its swelling strings and dissonant choirs amplifies every creak. Sound design is a star: guttural growls that rumble through seats wet thuds of levitating furniture and Lorraine's visions rendered in warped audio layers. One sequence involving a possessed radio spewing obscenities had the multiplex gasping pure Conjuring gold.

Yet as reviews note the scares grow predictable by the midpoint cattle-prodding with loud stings rather than sustained terror. It's "dad-rock horror" stubbornly formulaic trading subtlety for spectacle. For desi fans of subtle spooks in Pari it might feel bombastic. But in IMAX with bass rattling your ribs it's viscerally fun a solid 7/10 on the scare meter.

Themes in The Conjuring: Last Rites: Faith Legacy and the Human Spirit

Beneath the poltergeist pandemonium Last Rites grapples with profound ideas. Faith is central the Warrens' Catholic devotion clashes with the Smurls' crumbling belief questioning if prayer can conquer chaos. It's wholesome amid the gore emphasising salvation through love and ritual.

Legacy looms large too Ed and Lorraine ponder passing the torch to Judy mirroring real-life concerns as the couple aged. Family bonds shine as the ultimate weapon against evil with domestic scenes underscoring how hauntings fracture homes before souls. In a divided world this paean to unity resonates blending scares with sentimentality. Themes of ageing and redemption add gravitas making it more than mindless frights.

Should You Watch The Conjuring: Last Rites

Yes, if you're a franchise fan it's a touching send-off worth the chills. For newcomers start earlier. Stream it post-theatres but catch it big-screen for immersion.