The Conjuring: Last Rites : A Semi-Satisfying End to an Era
The Conjuring: Last Rites delivers an underwhelming, yet appreciated, conclusion to the franchise.
Warner Bros. Pictures
The Conjuring universe has surely made a mark on the film industry as a blockbuster paranormal saga inspired by actual true events. I’ve been locked in to the movies from the very beginning in 2013, and although I was sad to see it come to an end I was sure that the last film was going to go out with a bang. Sadly enough, Last Rites provides some spark but doesn’t quite live up to the hype or its potential to be the best out of the series.
How Was the Movie?
The Conjuring: Last Rites is not a bad movie, but with so many great predecessors it is a disappointmenting end to the franchise. These are my personal feelings and other lovers of the series may enjoy it more, but I just feel that the previous three films were all so much stronger in storytelling, intensity, and scares.
This installment was more of a slow burn that seemed to really take its time getting the story across. We get to see the Warrens more intimately this time, which is great, but it seems that this sacrificed time to spend on the actual case of the Smurl family. This same problem occurs in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, which revolves around an actual court case that we barely get to see. Even so, the third installment makes up for it a bit with good suspense and scary scenes that we just don’t get much of in Last Rites.
This movie was also just not as scary as the others, which is odd because it was advertised as the “end all be all” final case of The Warrens. When I looked into interviews with The Warrens on the real case, they do describe it as a very unique and terrifying case. One of the reasons being that the family are devout Christians.
In the earlier Conjuring films, we see families that are “non-believers” or people who are just not strong in faith. This is an implication of why some families may be targeted by dark entities and why our Christian heroes help save the day. However, with the Smurl family case this is the complete opposite. The film even starts with the Confirmation of one of the children. There was a huge opportunity to touch on this more, and it seemed to be overlooked.
And then there's the scare factor (which is what many viewers tend to watch for). Each Conjuring movie has at least one scene that has an unforgettable scare. Everyone remembers “the clap” from the first film, which is now probably one of the top creepiest moments across the horror film genre. The second film is known for Lorraine’s first chilling encounter with the Nun entity, and the opening to the third movie with Arne requesting to be possessed still haunts me. There are some memorable moments here, one in particular with a VHS tape (no spoiler), but I expected a bit more with this being Conjuring’s “End Game.”
Warner Bros. Pictures
Best Parts About the Movie?
The Smurl Case:
Although the movie doesn’t dig much into the Smurl case as I would’ve liked, their story is very compelling. As a faith-driven family, their experience raises questions about why they were targeted. It’s a great part of the film that absolutely deserved more attention, but at least you can look into real interviews with the Warrens on the actual case to learn more about them.
The Warrens:
It was great to get a more intimate look at the Warren family as a whole. This film takes a deeper look into Lorraine and Judy Warren, and what it means to be a part of their family. I have so much respect for the Warrens after being introduced to The Conjuring series, and have watched some of their documentaries and real-life interviews.
Although the movies are pretty Hollywood, you know there is a real story behind each that includes a couple that was brave enough to help people with paranormal horrors that we still can’t fully comprehend to this day. And in all honesty, the documentaries are more terrifying than the movies.
There are people who believe that they were a hoax, and we’re all entitled to our own opinions. Whatever you believe, there’s no denying that these stories are fascinating both in the Hollywood realm and the real world. May the Warrens rest in peace knowing that they lived their lives helping others despite doubt and disbelief.
Wikipedia
Is This Movie for You?
If you enjoy the franchise then yes, please go see The Warrens in their final film. This is a movie that can still be appreciated, even if it is not as good as the others.
It’s not a great goodbye, but it's a goodbye nonetheless, and we had a great era of stories and films with The Conjuring Universe. This movie is still part of the family, and family is an essential part of both the franchise and the film itself. They will truly be missed.
Warner Bros. Pictures