‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ Review – Final Chapter Makes for a Heartfelt Farewell

It may have been the potent scares that drew audiences in droves to The Conjuring in 2013, but its success was just as much indebted to Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga‘s sympathetic and romantic interpretations of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The fictional version of the couple quickly emerged as the franchise’s beating heart as they saved each other over and over from demonic threats spread across four main films and multiple spinoffs.

For their final outing, The Conjuring: Last Rites returns to form for a rousing farewell to not just Wilson and Farmiga’s characters, but The Conjuring as we know it.

Last Rites‘ cold open turns to the Warrens’ past for the harrowing birth of their daughter, one marred by an evil presence that will bring their story full circle. Once established, it picks up five years after the events of The Devil Made Me Do It, where Ed’s heart has all but forced the family to retire their paranormal work. It suits them; the media has only increased widespread skepticism, and retirement lets Ed and Lorraine spend more time with daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson), now fully grown and in a serious relationship with former cop Tony Spera (Ben Hardy).

The past comes back for the Warrens when a demonic presence takes root in the Smurl family home, forcing Ed and Lorraine out of retirement when it gets personal.

Returning director Michael Chaves, working from a script by Ian Goldberg & Richard Naing and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, adheres to the simpler haunted house setup introduced in the first two films to set the stage for Ed and Lorraine’s final bow. The introduction to the Smurl family comes with a few standout moments of blood-curdling dread, including an early, effective freakout involving a pantry and a telephone cord. While the rapidly accelerating haunt increases the horror threat, Chaves gives equal weight to the Warrens’ retired life to set up the emotional stakes. Heartwarming scenes at a family barbecue, complete with dad humor and joyous declarations of love, remind us why we love spending time with Wilson and Farmiga’s characters.

Chaves slyly begins packing in the visual callbacks at this stage; Last Rites reminds us over and over that this is indeed the final chapter through a myriad of ways, including cameos by a plethora of supporting Conjuring characters over the years. Once the Warrens and the Smurls’ paths begin to converge, however, the scares taper as the scales tip in favor of sentimentality. Chaves has the unenviable task of wrapping up a film series and sending off two popular characters in style while tackling one of the more sensationalized hauntings.

Moreover, Last Rites is a film that brings Judy into the fold more directly, forcing her to confront fears stemming from her family’s line of business. Tomlinson’s vulnerable yet guarded performance ensures Judy feels as empathetic as her parents while holding her own as an individual, even if that occasionally leads to trouble. Her inclusion also lets Wilson and Farmiga explore their characters’ roles more thoroughly as doting, overly protective parents, this film’s thematic backbone.

That emphasis on characters and closure means a climax that’s more guided by emotion than concise explanation, and one that’s more thematically fitting than flashy. Last Rites is the final film in the franchise as we know it, and it means it; this film is careful to avoid introducing any new potential spinoff material when it comes to creature design. It also means a deeply sentimental and heartrending epilogue that threatens all dry eyes in the house. Watch through the end credits for one final full circle closure moment that ties the Conjuring films off with a tidy bow.

Last Rites is suitably nightmarish where it counts, bringing memorable chills that linger and spilling more blood than usual in a Conjuring film. But it’s more affecting for the way it wears its heart on its sleeves, with Wilson and Farmiga giving their final bow as Ed and Lorraine Warren their all. It’s a fitting, heartfelt end to one of horror’s biggest modern franchises, one that’s likely to make you gasp early and often before leaving you weepy with the realization that it really is a goodbye to these wholesome horror parents and the end of an era.

The Conjuring: Last Rites releases in theaters on September 5, 2025.

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