The debut of the first Conjuring movie came out in 2013, starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, and now, 12 years later, The Conjuring: Last Rites was released this year in early September. This franchise includes fan favorites like Annabelle and The Nun, but centers around the true stories of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, credited with solving some of the most infamous hauntings of the 1970s.
Hitting 83 million dollars at the box office during its first week, this movie marks the end of this nostalgic universe. The New York Times refers to Wilson and Farmiga as “Horror’s Mom and Dad,” as they portray the genre’s most famous couple and the cases they documented during their lifetime. A key characteristic of these films is the display of real footage and pictures at the end of each movie. Though many suspect the couple’s work to be a hoax, the movies themselves were a hit, turning into the highest-grossing horror franchise and revitalizing the haunted house paranormal themes.
Ed Warren was a World War 2 veteran and former police officer who became a self-proclaimed demonologist, and his wife, Lorraine, claimed to be a psychic capable of communicating with spirits. They gained popularity after the Amityville hauntings, and Lorraine consulted on the production of the films, saying the directors didn’t over-dramatize more than needed, according to ATI.
The Warrens’ most famous cases made it to the movies, like the first one about the Peron family, who moved into a farmhouse in Rhode Island in 1971 and noticed things moving on their own and whispers in the halls. Turns out, the woman who lived in the house before them was a rumored Satanist – a rising practice in the 70s – and was involved in the mysterious death of a neighbor’s child. Lorraine conducted seances where footage shows Carolyn Rogers, the mother of the family, being possessed. For Last Rites, directors chose a similar experience of the Smurl Family in Pennsylvania, and an antique haunted wooden mirror.
For the movie itself, it starts with young Ed and Lorraine and the birth of their daughter Judy, around whom the movie is centered. Immediately, viewers who have been around since the beginning are hit with nostalgia from Ed’s timely sideburns, the room of haunted artifacts, Ed and Lorraine’s unshakeable love, and even callbacks to past cases. It definitely captures the old-school haunted house thrill that feels oddly comforting and makes this investigation a family affair. The couple decided to back out of the business due to Ed’s diagnosed heart problems and the couple’s growing old age – which are apparently a liability when chasing ghosts who want to push you down numerous flights of stairs. The directors did an impressive job of preserving the 1980s film vibe, even in moments heavy with CGI. The film puts a big spotlight on Judy, all grown up and with rapidly growing powers.
One clear improvement in this installment is the sharper use of suspense and jump scares, making the story less predictable and far more thrilling than expected in comparison to the 3rd movie, The Devil Made Me Do It, which had a much more unsettling case, of a string of murders rather than a simple haunted object.
What truly completes the film, though, is the cast’s performances—the acting draws you back to the roots of the series. At its core, the movie isn’t just about the supernatural; it’s about family, resilience, and the strength found in working together.
“I think they did a really good job integrating the real story into a more fictional plot line…the suspense was also really good,” said sophomore Eunice Kim.
Though Wilson and Farmiga are retiring from the franchise, the directors leave behind hints that the Conjuring universe is far from finished—whether through spin-offs, parallel universes, or perhaps Judy carrying the torch. The ending of Last Rites is almost as bittersweet as it is haunting, with Ed and Lorraine dancing away, a farewell that cements not just their love story but their lasting impact on the horror genre itself.
