Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga appear in a scene from “The Conjuring: Last Rites.” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
By Jocelyn Keddington
“The Conjuring: Last Rites” concludes the long-running series by focusing on faith, family, and the emotional toll of living with darkness, shifting the series focus from paranormal cases to the Warrens’ internal struggles.
Now available for streaming on video-on-demand services, the film delves into Lorraine Warren’s (Vera Farmiga) past while centering on her daughter Judy (Sterling Jerins), who faces dark forces that torment her much like her mother. But Judy’s confrontation with unseen forces becomes more than a typical possession story — it’s about confronting the aspects of ourselves shaped by those who came before us.
The film’s atmosphere remains true to “The Conjuring” series spirit with shadowy halls, whispered prayers, and objects that seem to come alive. But the film feels longer than necessary. Tension builds slowly before culminating in a chaotic final act where supernatural elements converge all at once. Instead of heightening fear, the climax diminishes it.
“The Conjuring: Last Rites” doesn’t deliver the tightly crafted scares of earlier entries, but it offers a fitting, if flawed, farewell. By exploring how spiritual gifts and curses pass from mother to daughter, the film acknowledges that the Warrens’ greatest threat was never something they could lock away in their artifact room.
