HOLLYWOOD—I have always found “The Conjuring” films to be intriguing. Why? They make you want to go investigate the story that the film was based on which all four flicks in the franchise are based on actual events. How accurate those events are is another thing?
“The Conjuring” in 2013 was something to awe at, its 2016 sequel was epic. Still to this day one of the best in the franchise, that third outing was mediocre, but also released at the time of the pandemic, and now we have “The Conjuring: The Last Rites” which is the end of the saga for Ed and Lorraine Warren. This movie tackles the infamous Smurl family in Pennsylvania, who has mysterious hauntings after bringing an antique mirror into their home.
I would love to say this family is the focal point of the movie, and while they are, the characters are not all that fleshed out to me. They actually feel like an afterthought. The primary focus is on the dynamics of Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) and their daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson). Ed and Lorraine have finally decided to call it quits and enjoy retirement, but it appears Judy, like her mother can sense things, and something evil is taunting and after her.
That ultimately brings the family to Pennsylvania, after Judy decides to investigate the hauntings transpiring inside the Smurl family home. As per usual, the opening of the movie is tense and sets the stage for what will unfold. However, unlike previous movies, the pacing on “The Last Rites” is a bit slower. The chaos happens in small spurts and doesn’t really ramp up until about the last 50 minutes of the movie.
There is a buildup of tension for what is inevitably about to erupt thanks to director Michael Chaves. Chaves does a decent job, but one can’t help but wonder if James Wan who directed the first 2 flicks was helming the camera, what effect the movie would have on moviegoers. Judy’s boyfriend/fiancé, Tony (Ben Hardy) soon joins the mayhem and gets a first-hand account of the scariness the Warrens had hoped to leave behind. Chaves does a solid job with camera work that invites the audience slowly into the terror that unnerves you.
Wilson and Farmiga deliver amazing performances as always, but it’s the suspense buildup that really sells the movie during the climatic third act that will have viewers on the edge of their seat. I was thoroughly entertained to see how things would end, and I was not disappointed. Does “The Conjuring: Last Rites” end with a bang?
That depends on who you ask, while satisfied, I did want just a bit more considering this franchise re-ushered the fear of the haunted house in a way not many horror movies are capable of doing. It was a massive hit at the box-office and touted as the final entry in the franchise, but in Hollywood when tons of money is made there is always an opportunity for more story.
