The Conjuring: Last Rites Movie Review: An inelegant swan song to The Conjuring franchise

The Conjuring: Last Rites Movie Review:

The Conjuring films have created their own space in the horror genre over the years. Blending the real-life characters with the otherworldly to create enough familiarity for the audience while also dishing out fresh thrills. The franchise uses a familiar setting to help the audience settle, only to then focus on the supernatural and the horror, with the tonal shift supplying enough thrills. However, The Conjuring: Last Rites uses the expected to show the expected again.

Director: Michael Chaves

Cast: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy

The film is set in 1986, at West Pittston, Pennsylvania, USA, in the home of the Smurls, a large family of eight people. There are grandparents, parents, two teenage girls, and two little girls, all of whom are repeatedly terrorised by poltergeists. This setting isn't something we have seen before. Usually, the families that Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) help act as a reminder of the Warrens' love for each other. The family dynamics are deeply explored, which helps the audience to root for the members of that family. But Last Rites uses the Smurls only to elevate the stakes for the Warrens. The demonic entity attacks the family. The Warrens enter the picture. The Warrens are left to deal with the entity as it attacks the Smurls. The description can seem like an oversimplification, but like the film, the Smurls are only an afterthought here.

The use of reinforcement is a staple for The Conjuring films, and Last Rites doesn't stray from that trope. But after three films, it only becomes an identifier. From a cross on the door turning upside down to symbolise the arrival of something demonic, to a creepy hand on a shoulder that shows an entity being latched onto a person, the hints offered by the film prepare the audience for what is to come, instead of surprising them. In a particular scene, a young girl watches the footage of her birthday, and rewinds it again and again to see a particular moment. The girl watches the moment, rewinds the tapes in the VCR player, and the moment is played again. The sounds of the video, the TV, and the rewinding of the tapes are imprinted on your mind, as the camera zooms into the TV and shows the girl's face amongst the darkness. Predictably, the scene cuts to silence, after which a loud jumpscare follows. The continuous rewinds and the sounds readies the audience for the silence that will set up a jumpscare, which unfortunately doesn't pay off.

However, what Last Rites lacks in horror, it makes up for with heart. The Warrens' daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson) is now grown up, and like her mother, she is a clairvoyant. She is plagued by visions of the otherworldly, which affects her greatly. But Lorraine is always there for her. Lorraine's guidance centres Judy, and her kindness calms her greatly. Farmiga as Lorraine makes a lasting impression with her zest for maintaining goodness in the world. Meanwhile, Tomlinson, as Judy, creates a character with the same indomitable spirit coupled with kindness. Last Rites also offers a poignant reflection of the Warrens' adventures. We see their journey from a young couple hoping to help a woman in distress, to being retired for the safety of their daughter, and offering to help a family in distress once more, when they are reminded of their values. In their world of darkness, physical and emotional, the bonds the Warrens share are a soothing sight to see.

The film sacrifices a lot to make a heartfelt goodbye to the Warrens as their story comes to an end. Certain questions are left unanswered, and plot points are written as per convenience. But in the end, it is a comfortable watch that doesn't delve too much into exposition needlessly.