“The Conjuring: Last Rites” is the swan song of “The Conjuring” series. I have to admit, I haven’t seen much at all of “The Conjuring.” I vaguely remember seeing the first movie as a child, but nothing aside from that. For a sequel to be successful, it must not only support the previous entries, but also stand on its own. In other words, it should offer something for both long-time fans and newcomers alike. How else are you going to attract new fans and boast your nine film horror dynasty? I believe the opinions of the fans of the series are just as valuable as those inexperienced with “The Conjuring.” As for me, and thousands of others, this is the first “Conjuring” film they will see.
“The Conjuring” is a legendary series of horror films, even outside the scope of the horror genre. A series so successful that it has ten total entries, “The Conjuring” reached a feat that most movie series can’t even come close to. When the first entry in the series released in 2013, it may not have been the first movie to tackle the paranormal trope, but it may as well have revolutionized it thanks to its unique spiritual take on the paranormal and its ties to real-life demonologists, Ed and Lorraine Warren.
Now, background aside, how does the final installment in the legendary “Conjuring” dynasty really hold up?
The worst thing a horror film can be is predictable. Thankfully, “Last Rites” has unpredictable twists and turns. When you expect a jumpscare, there isn’t, and when you don’t expect one, there is. Luckily, this isn’t true to just benefit the scare factor, but the story of the movie too.
“Last Rites” builds tension rather than raw scares. It allows the audience’s fear to pile on and on. This tension combined with the subtle scares moves mountains for the overall atmosphere. The film doesn’t have fear, horror, or scares at the center of it, instead opting to focus on its narrative and characters, which I think is a fantastic choice and a fresh breath of air, as many recent horror films center around quick scares. During the first haunting section of the story, the spirits will never show themselves outright, causing confusion and deception within the family and the audience, which ultimately makes the true reveal so chilling.
“Last Rites” is a long, slow burn that really ramps up near the end like most horror films . It spends just enough time on exposition, conflict, and resolution. It follows the tried and true investigator structure, starting with the possessed family that needs help, showing how screwed they really are, then calling in the calvary that is Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, respectively.
The very best aspect about the film is its lovable characters. Even though I am unfamiliar with the Warren family, it’s very easy to root for them and empathize with their struggles. Almost all of the cast is fleshed out and contributes to the story. The characters are funny when they need to be and never have you angry at them. “Last Rites” does a great job of being understanding for new fans while having many returning characters for longtime fans. Of course, I don’t know these returning characters, but they’re introduced in such a way that it’s easy to tell that it’s just a fun nod to older films for fans of the franchise.
One last thing I found very surprising was the suspense. Many movies suffer from plot armor and that goes for any series; however, “Last Rites” makes it feel like characters are actually in danger. In horror films, too often does the main character get into some serious trouble to miraculously walk out alive. The action scenes in this movie are real nail-biters as you watch a character fight for their life. It feels very refreshing to see victories that feel earned by the characters.
Nothing within the movie is blatantly bad. Except for one small issue I have.
Tony is introduced as the love interest for Judy Warren. The movie puts a lot of attention onto Tony, but he doesn’t do anything important to the story, and, in every major conflict, he’s not present. The one time he is involved, he gets thrown aside, literally and figuratively, by the paranormal entities and doesn’t say a word about it. It feels almost as if Tony is supposed to be in more of the film, but, for some reason, isn’t. At the end of the day, he is still a likable character, just one without impact.
The same can somewhat be said for Judy herself. She offers no key contributions during any major conflicts. Sure, she is the reason the Warrens investigated the haunting in the first place, but she doesn’t do anything of note there besides move the plot forward by interacting with her parents. Unfortunately, Judy and Tony don’t hold on their own when it comes to depth and personality. They are used for the development of other characters and small events in the plot.
At heart, this is still a story about Ed and Lorraine, and it hurts the series when the focus is on anyone else.
“The Conjuring: Last Rites” is a faithful, but loud bang for the series to go out on. It serves as a closing of “The Conjuring” series. It never disappointed me, but never left me wanting more from it. It fantastically weaves scare and story into one cohesive web that thrives on nerves and anticipation. I don’t know if the past “Conjuring” movies are as great as this one, but I can say that every series wishes for a send-off as solid as “Last Rites.”
