The world was first introduced to the “The Conjuring” film franchise in 2013, having since gone on to earn over $2.3 billion at the global box office. 

In the fourth and final installment of the series, directed by Michael Chaves, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) are confronted by the same demon they met in one of their very first cases. It also happened to be the last case the real Ed and Lorraine Warren ever investigated, so it’s a real full-circle moment. 

As someone who loves the first two Conjuring movies but doesn’t think anything special about the third, I was ready to see if number four would go back to its roots, or be as disappointing as the third. 

Spoiler: I was not disappointed, though I was a little underwhelmed at the very end.  

The movie begins, and we go back in time to see the Warrens investigate one of their very first cases, one where the possessed artifact is a mirror adorned with three cherub angels at the top. 

When Lorraine, who is pregnant with their daughter, touches the mirror, she immediately feels something is wrong with the baby. They rush to the hospital where the baby, Judy, is stillborn, but as Ed and Lorraine pray over her she takes her first breath. 

We then jump to 1986, where the same mirror is gifted to Heather Smurl. You can only guess what happens next. Something begins haunting the Smurl family and Lorraine begins to see things surrounding her daughter. 

Oftentimes, when we get to the fourth movie in a franchise, it starts to go downhill. That is not the case for “The Conjuring: Last Rites.” This movie is full of jumpscares and suspense and even though it is 2 hours and 15 minutes long, I never got bored. 

Unlike in the other movies, Ed and Lorrine aren’t the ones who originally want to help the Smurl family with their demon infestation; it’s Judy who goes to meet the family and convinces her parents to stay. 

As always, in the midst of all the horror and possession and the terrible things that are happening to this family, there are still some scenes that show that the family experiencing this haunting and the one investigating it are still just two families. The scenes of Ed’s birthday party and playing ping-pong with friends are just what you need to put your guard down before you are horrified by the hideous demon on the screen. 

This film definitely has a family feel. I mean, the family experiencing the haunting is a family of eight plus a dog, and they really play out the family dynamics. So when something happens to one of them, for example, when someone starts throwing up blood and mirror shards, you can’t help but feel for the family. 

In my very professional opinion, I think this film could make its way to being my second favorite film in the series. Sorry but nothing could ever beat “The Conjuring 2” for me. I think while this film could have done a few things better, overall it is still one of my new favorites.

Official Score: 8.5/10

Categories: Arts & Entertainment