Twelve years ago, in 2013, Saw maestro James Wan kicked off one of the most lucrative horror franchises in history when he released The Conjuring. Not only did the film spawn its own sequels, but it was also the genesis of a whole cinematic universe of scares with Annabelle and The Nun being just two of them. All good things must come to an end however, as the fictionalised version of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren’s story concludes in The Conjuring: Last Rites.
After having helped kickstart what would go on to become known as the torture porn era, with The Conjuring, Wan ushered in a new, less gory, more jump scare heavy method of storytelling. The move was an instant success with audiences flocking to enjoy the neverending slew of fright sequences. This magic formula has sustained the franchise for over a decade, and is once more present in this final film, which is directed by Michael Chaves who also directed the third chapter – The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Of the pre-existing The Conjuring movies, it is the third film that is viewed by many as being the worst and so having Chaves name attached will likely cause a chill down some viewer’s spines. Fortunately, there is no need for concern as Chaves corrects the mistakes of his last outing.
Throughout the first two Conjuring films it was the plight of the haunted that took centre stage with Ed and Lorraine dropping in to rid them of their demons. It was a similar deal in the third film, but within The Conjuring: Last Rites the terrorised Smurl family are sidelined in favour of focusing on the Warren family. This means that the scares are not as thick and fast as audiences have become accustomed to, but when they do arrive, they land with a mighty bang. Although not as concerned with creating extended sequences of intensity, The Conjuring: Last Rites features at least one franchise-best jump scare, one so good that it’ll take the most hardened of horror fans to not succumb. When they are present, the scare set-pieces give everything that Conjuring fans could want, this time with a dash of bodily fluids helping provide nightmare fuel.
Whilst the scares are present, The Conjuring: Last Rites rightly shines a closer light on Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga), as well as their daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson). Although the franchise is enjoyed for its scare-attraction quality, the overriding success of the series is down to Ed and Lorraine. The pair have been played consistently well by both Wilson and Farmiga, and it is clear that these are characters that they care a great deal about. Their onscreen iterations might be very different from the real-life Warrens, but that works in the franchises favour. Whereas the real couple were mired in controversy, these fictionalised creations are a beautiful couple to connect with. Their love for one another sings off of the screen and the audience wants only the best for them.
The expansion to include Judy more centrally works well, allowing the Warren’s story to broaden outside of their marital love and also analyse the parent-child relationship. This forms much of the emotional core this time around with an onus placed on the interconnection of Lorraine and Judy, with her daughter having inherited her mother’s psychic gifts. Not all of the focus on the Warrens works though; the introduction of Judy’s love interest Tony (Ben Hardy) causes some static. Indoctrinating him into the fold draws further attention from the scares that have helped build the franchise, as well as extending the runtime greatly. His inclusion makes sense, and Hardy does a great job, but the introduction feels a tad too little too late.
Whereas earlier entries in The Conjuring induced sleepless nights, The Conjuring: Last Rites isn’t likely too. For some this will be disappointing, but for those that have invested in Ed and Lorraine, The Conjuring: Last Rites provides a fitting swan song for the couple. Chaves doesn’t shirk the jump scare formula entirely, and when attention shifts to them they are a juggernaut to the senses, but this is a Conjuring film more likely to have viewers reaching for the tissues.
The Conjuring: Last Rites
Summary
A fitting end to Ed and Lorraine’s saga, the usual scares remain, but this one is all about family. Whilst a far more emotional story than what has come to pass before, The Conjuring: Last Rites still manages to sneak in a series best jump scare or two.
The Conjuring: Last Rites is released in UK cinemas on Friday 5th September.
