The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren take on one last terrifying case involving mysterious entities they must confront.

My Take – Released back in 2013, The Conjuring, directed by James Wan, not just reinvigorated the stale haunted house horror sub-genre and brought cultural attention to real life demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, it also birthed a billion dollar franchise that not only consisted of a solidly scary sequel, but branched off to spinoffs like the Annabelle trilogy and The Nun duo logy.

And though none of those offshoots managed to replicate the critical acclaim of the first two films, they were wildly successful financially to guarantee further developments. But while the third installment found itself at crossroads, as director Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona, The Nun II) struggled to match James Wan’s rich direction skills and masterclass in building suspense, leaving fans of the series disappointed, thankfully, his second go around ends up being a different beast all together.

Mainly as it arrives not just as another sequel, but as a supposed swan song that tilts toward family drama and personal stakes rather than the usual carnival of screams.

Structured as a sendoff to the Warrens, and to Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who have carried these films with effective tenderness and conviction, the result is a strong, if not flawless, entry in the franchise. A film that feels at once haunted and heartfelt. An effective supernatural horror outing that leans heavily on atmosphere, its central performances, and an ambitious effort to prioritize familial stakes over cheap thrills.

Yes, they once again come to the aid of another poor family who are being besieged by a demon, and is not the scariest film in the series. But it’s certainly good enough for the series to go out on a high note. By prioritizing character over creature, it delivers an ending that feels less like a fitting tribute to the Warrens’ cinematic journey.

Partially based on real events, the film opens in 1964 and initially follows a young Ed Warren (Orion Smith) and Lorraine Warren (Madison Lawlor), in the early stages of their career, who are investigating a mirror in an antique shop. But when Lorraine, who is heavily pregnant, touches the mirror, she sees a vision of a malignant entity and her unborn child, collapses, and goes into labor. Forcing the two rush to the hospital in the blinding rain, where their baby daughter Judy survives after being stillborn for a minute.

Moving to 1986, Judy (Mia Tomlinson) has grown up to be a kind young woman, and is in a relationship with a former policeman, Tony (Ben Hardy), but remains troubled by her visions, that she has inherited from her mother, while Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) and Ed (Patrick Wilson) have retired because of Ed’s weak heart, living a quieter life far away from exorcisms and late night calls.

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, as a confirmation gift, Heather Smurl (Kila Lord Cassidy), one of four daughters of the Smurl family, that consists of Jack (Elliot Cowan) and Janet (Rebecca Calder), and their other three daughters, Dawn (Beau Gadsdon), Shannon (Molly Cartwright) and Carin (Tilly Walker), and Jack’s parents, John (Peter Wight) and Mary (Kate Fahy), receives the same mirror as a gift.

With no knowledge of its evil antecedents, the family places the mirror in one of the rooms. Soon enough, bad things begin to happen and leads to a tragic incident. Something that not just forces the Warrens out of retirement, but also draws Judy to the Smurl home.

The screenplay by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick does not waste time pretending this is just another case. Right from the opening act, it positions the story as the one that ends their journey. The ghosts, possessions, and dark rituals are there, but they serve a larger point.

Instead of diving straight into shocks, the film anchors itself in a family crisis. Judy is not just a child growing up with eccentric parents. She is someone marked from birth. Later montages and scattered scenes show her growing into adolescence and adulthood, never quite free of the feeling that something is watching.

What sets this installment apart from its predecessors is its dual focus. It’s not just about the Smurls’ descent into terror, but also about the Warrens reconciling with the responsibilities of faith, parenthood, and the legacy they’re passing down. Thematically, it’s the most reflective Conjuring film yet.

The film’s narrative threads the Smurl family haunting with Judy’s evolving psychic abilities, offering a multi-generational perspective on how evil tests the strength of family ties. It’s an inspired narrative choice that deepens the mythology: the Warrens’ fight is no longer only their own, but also their daughter’s, raising the personal stakes and suggesting that the consequences of their life’s work ripple outward into future generations.

Sure, it is probably the least when it comes it delivering scares. And while the film spends much of its runtime hinting at a malevolent entity behind the mirror, only to shy away from revealing anything truly terrifying, director Chaves is also no slouch. The sequence where Judy tries on her wedding dress, in the mirrored fitting room reflecting brides to infinity, with one image doing the unexpected, presents a delicious thrill. The baptisms carry a sense of dread.

The quiet anxiety of trying to pause a VHS playback at just the right moment is also quite effective. A couple of long shot reveals are chilling. But beyond that, the film is remarkably restrained. But by the time the story reaches its final stretch, it becomes clear that the film is not built to scare but to conclude. The final five minutes are particularly moving. They are constructed to evoke nostalgia, reminding viewers of the long road that began more than a decade ago with the first film. It is sentimental and effective.

Performance wise, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga continue to remain the anchors and their portrayals remain as magnetic as ever, balancing steely determination with deep vulnerability. Mia Tomlinson brings freshness as a daughter torn between domestic happiness and dark destiny. Ben Hardy himself imbues Tony with an earnestness.

Orion Smith and Madison Lawlor are effectively believable as younger versions of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. Rebecca Calder, Kila Lord Cassidy, Elliot Cowan, Beau Gadsdon, Molly Cartwright, Tilly Walker, Peter Wight and Kate Fahy sell the Smurl family dynamics—fraught, frightened, but ultimately resilient. On the whole, ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites‘ is a solid farewell to a chilling horror series that trades relentless scares for an emotional closure.