Rating: 3/5
Synopsis:
What’s billed as the final film in “The Conjuring” franchise has finally hit theaters. We see Ed and Lorraine Warren taking a hiatus from their paranormal investigations. Ed’s heart has become weak and Lorraine dreams of putting the past behind her. But when a family from rural Pennsylvania experiences paranormal disruptions in their home, the Warrens decide to get involved one last time. But they quickly realize that this case is different. The demonic entity is one from their past, intent on luring them back for one final confrontation. Can Ed and Lorraine’s unity and love conquer this spirit? Or will the family face a tragedy unlike anything they’ve seen before?
Positives:
“Last Rites” has everything a fan of the franchise will enjoy. It features a spooky atmosphere, a number of strong jump scares, and wonderful chemistry between Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. The film quickly establishes that this is a personal story for Ed and Lorraine Warren. It begins with a flashback during Lorraine’s pregnancy, where an interaction with a possessed mirror connects her to a malevolent force. This creates complications in the birth of their daughter. By pulling the same demon back from many years ago, the story raises the stakes for the Warrens. Their personal connection to the case is felt, where the safety of their daughter is in jeopardy. Ed and Lorraine’s commitment to one another is pushed to their limit. This solidifies them as two of the strongest characters in modern horror history. Since the demonic entity is connected to their daughter, Ed and Lorraince must use everything they have to defeat this force. Wilson and Farmiga are excellent as always. This franchise has been elevated by their performances, even when the material they’re given is mediocre. I could watch them doing chores around the house or going out to dinner and still be entertained. That’s the kind of energy they bring, so credit to those two if this is their final outing in the franchise.
As much as I enjoyed seeing the Warren’s acting as parents, the scary sequences had a few good moments. Franchise veteran Michael Chaves has gotten better at establishing atmosphere and timing the jump scares for maximum impact. The pop out moments and chase sequences featuring the old woman and axe wielding farmer elicited strong reactions during my showing. Feeling the climbing tension mixed with creepy imagery made the story strong when it needed to be. Whether it be a lingering presence hiding in a dark corner or a loud jolt, I enjoyed feeling the scares on a Dolby screen with a packed audience.
Negatives:
I may sound like a broken record when it comes to my criticisms of the franchise, but having Michael Chaves in the director’s chair is a huge reason this franchise is falling into mediocrity. I enjoy every entry in the franchise to a degree, even the ones at the bottom. But Michael Chaves doesn’t have the secret sauce that the original films displayed. James Wan created a franchise that terrified audiences upon its release with the first two “Conjuring” films. Even David F. Sandburg and Gary Dauberman made films that managed to retain some of the elements from those first two films. But Chaves’ reliance on CGI to create his scary sequences really takes me out of the film. It’s so blatantly obvious that most of the demons in this film are enhanced with computerized effects. Where Wan leaned into practical effects and makeup, Chaves uses CGI. I don’t even mind using CGI to touch up these sequences, but saturating the imagery with computerized effects makes the scary scenes far less effective. This is especially true in the finale when lots of fake blood is being shot at the screen or a haunted mirror is spinning towards the Warrens.
The flow of the story also goes in some strange directions. We spend the first half of the film without many scares, focusing on the Warren’s daughter and her boyfriend. But this segment was more interesting than the Smurl family’s integration in the story. They have a large household so we don’t get to know them well at all. We spend lots of time seeing them hollering across the dinner table or listening to one of the daughters complain every time she is on screen. I wish they spent more time developing the main characters from this family so they didn’t feel so distant. Luckily we already know and love the Warren’s, so getting to spend more time with them makes up for the lack of development with the Smurl family.
Conclusion:
“The Conjuring: Last Rites” is a suitable enough conclusion to the Warren’s story. It gives us more of their terrific chemistry, adding the daughter to the mix and connecting us with her further. We are also treated to a few strong jump scares and creepy demon designs. But some strange story directions hamper this from being the grand finale I hoped it would be. I believe the franchise needs to move on from Michael Chaves and let someone else handle the directing duties. The series will likely continue via spinoffs or follow the daughter and her boyfriend so there is still time to course correct. It’s a fun time with a packed theater, but the days of “The Conjuring” franchise being the scariest on the block may be over. If anything, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga went out with a bang. They are certified horror icons!
