As the ninth installment of this horror franchise, The Conjuring: Last Rites, directed by Michael Chaves and written by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and Davis Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, proves to be a memorable one.
This movie revisits the 1986 Pennsylvania haunting of the Smurl household, with Ed and Lorraine Warren stepping into a dark, twisted nightmare one last time.
The extraordinary acting from both actor Patrick Wilson and actress Vera Farmiga is on complete display throughout the entire movie.
As the previous actors and actresses of Ed and Lorraine Warren throughout the franchise, both Farmiga and Wilson continue to play their roles perfectly. Farmiga brings a deep sensitivity and unyielding strength to her character, Lorraine, while Wilson perfectly depicts the strength, warmth, and determination of Ed Warren. Together, they create a story so believable that the audience can’t help but get invested.
From the opening scenes, the film instantly immerses the audience into an atmosphere that is so tense, it feels as if you’ve set foot into The Conjuring universe itself.
With the introduction of Ed and Lorraine’s daughter Judy, a sense of innocence and fear blossoms around the family. Just as there is in the real world, a deep connection between parents and their children was on clear display throughout the movie. As you’re watching, you can feel and see the lengths that both Ed and Lorraine Warren would go to for the safety of their child.
The horror aspects of this movie were executed perfectly as well. There were no cheap jump scares or scary noises; there were carefully crafted moments that stuck in the audience’s mind. Unholy rituals, ghost apparitions, unbelievable amounts of suspense, The Conjuring: Last Rites had it all.
The writers of The Conjuring: Last Rites did an excellent job at building suspense throughout the film. Judy, along with her parents, was both emotionally and physically involved in the Smurl family’s haunting; you couldn’t help but feel the connection between the families. While this movie does push the audience into a darker territory, the emotional core doesn’t die, and the entertainment value sticks.
However, I believe this movie had a very quick and sudden ending. It felt as if the pacing of the movie was off. I felt that it was slow at the beginning and took a while for the movie to get going. I think if the climax had occurred a little earlier in the film, it could’ve alleviated this issue.
All in all, I believe The Conjuring: Last Rites deserves 4 out of 5 bones.