The Conjuring: Last Rites was supposed to bring the award-winning horror franchise to a fulfilling close; however, after watching it, I would say otherwise. The movie, which officially released in theaters on September 5th 2025, has already become one of the highest grossing films of the franchise, making a record-breaking $83 million on its opening weekend in America. Critics and audiences have both praised it for its emotional and warm tone, as Patrik Wilson (Ed Warren) and Vera Farmiga (Lorraine Warren) deliver astounding performances that convey the sincerity of the Warren family. Without this chemistry, however, the movie’s execution was subpar, as it was rushed and lacked the same horror as previous movies in the franchise.
In the beginning of the movie, Ed and Lorraine are taking a break from paranormal investigation due to medical concerns in the 1980s. At this point, their daughter, Judy, has grown up and is now experiencing increasingly intense visions that she is losing control over. Despite being on break, the Warrens receive a call from the Smurl family for help, which leads audiences into the same sequences of events seen in previous movies. This film is also based on real-life events and is known to be the Warren family’s last case before officially retiring.
Aside from the execution, the movie is excellent in creating an eerie atmosphere that was the basis of the previous movies. The cinematography and sound design are polished, and few memorable scenes capture the spirit of the franchise’s earlier horror. While these are important technical strengths, the director still struggled to execute the movie to even out the pacing and really allow the fear aspect of horror to linger in the audience.
The film, for much of the first half, moves very slowly and does not allow the audience to properly feel scared during eerie parts of the movie. In earlier movies, the horror intensified and built up until the climax, when we were all on the edge of our seats. However, this movie was too overcrowded with just the lives of the Warrens. Between the horror going on in the Smurl house and the daily obstacles the Warrens have to face, there is not much room to properly build the suspense of the plot. As a result, the tension built at an awkward and imbalanced pace, and when jumpscares would appear, they would feel less impactful.
Another major issue with the movie is the lack of consistent scares. Although in the end, the feeling the previous movies brought returned, the feeling was only experienced for the last twenty minutes. In the beginning, the horror scenes are restrained and seem to be filled with dread as major turning points in the story occur. However, these turning points are not focused on enough to all have the same jaw-dropping effect, which made the movie seem more like an emotional drama than horror. At some points, I must say, the heart-warming scenes were excellent additions, and fit perfectly into the story, given the Warrens’ troubling past. With that said, I still believe the film should have honed in less on family drama and more on actually advancing the plot.
The Conjuring: Last Rites was very character-driven and emotional, which was disappointing as a final farewell from one of my favorite franchises. Although it received a lot of criticism, I do appreciate that it offered a satisfying closure and showcased the commitment of its leads, but it did not capture the same terror that initially made the franchise stand out from other horror movies.
