Palm Springs, CA
There’s a bittersweet weight in watching The Conjuring: Last Rites, knowing it’s billed as the final chapter for Ed and Lorraine Warren. I saw it in a nearly full house; the buzz was partly nostalgia, partly curiosity. What does one last exorcism feel like when you’ve lived through the previous ones? That question hung over the evening, and the film mostly answers it—though not always as cleanly as one might hope.
Story, Director, & Premise
Directed by Michael Chaves and written by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Last Rites reintroduces us to Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga now deeply familiar in their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren. This installment frames their final case as a haunted mirror tied to the Smurl family, while also revisiting the theme of familial trauma—particularly through their daughter Judy, whose connection to the supernatural has been woven into the story since birth. The narrative begins with Lorraine’s pregnancy and moves through dark territory—exorcism, haunting, memories of loss—before building to a climax that is suspenseful, though not always surprising.
Performances & Craft
Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson once again anchor the film. There’s a sort of emotional gravitas in their exchanges, a familiarity that helps carry scenes where the pacing drags. Farmiga, especially, brings heart to the role of a mother, a clairvoyant, a woman straining against her own fears. Wilson’s Ed is more steady, more determined, but this film leans heavily on the emotional history the characters share rather than inventing new facets. Supporting players add texture—some shine, some feel beside the point—but overall the camera returns again and again to the Warrens, their home, their shared burdens.
The direction by Chaves attempts both spectacle and intimacy; visuals are suitably creepy when the film leans into its haunted objects and mirror scares. But there are also stretches—scenes at their home, flashbacks, quieter moments—that slow things down, perhaps too much so, testing patience. Still, when the film commits to its payoff—whenever the mirror’s horror intersects with Judy’s fears, or Lorraine’s visions—it delivers emotional weight and atmosphere.
Relation to Past Films & Reflection
Compared to earlier Conjuring films (especially the originals directed by James Wan), Last Rites feels less about pure jump scares and more about legacy: what it means to carry past trauma, to pass on belief, and to face inevitable endings. The first films leaned heavily on pacing, tension, creeping dread, and supernatural dread; here, there’s a sense that those tools are still present but filtered through emotional storytelling. Fans of the original films will appreciate the callbacks, the world-building, and the reassurance that Farmiga and Wilson have remained committed to these roles year after year.
