Alex Wheeler Movie Ops

Back in 2013, director James Wan expanded his horror domain into haunted house films with The Conjuring. This came on the back of his hugely successful Saw and Insidious franchises, and when The Conjuring proved to be another exemplary example of a horror subgenre, a whole new franchise was born. All three are still plugging away, their quality lagging as Wan and other key creative forces have moved on.

The Conjuring, though, has held up better than the other series, at least with its core films. There’s something steady in the balance between Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the infamous paranormal investigators with strong ties to the Catholic Church. Even when the films around them stumble through less than captivating ‘true’ stories, they bring A-game performances that give the stories some stakes.

And they have to do a decent amount of lifting in The Conjuring: Last Rites, which gives them a shaky send-off in what is touted as the pair’s last outing in the series. The story takes place during the end of the real Ed and Lorraine’s careers, as well. They’ve retired from active cases due to Ed’s heart condition and now spend their time lecturing on the occult. And, it turns out, continuing to look out for their daughter, Judy (Mia Tomlinson), who is increasingly struggling with the psychic abilities she picked up from Lorraine. Oh, and Judy has a paramour, Tony (Ben Hardy), whose integration into the family takes up a bit too much time for a haunted house film.

Meanwhile, the Smurl family has picked up a haunted mirror, as one does. It brings a variety of ghosts and one very controlling demon into their lives, but Last Rites isn’t very interested in the Smurls. They mostly exist as screaming fodder for a handful of early scares. The actors portraying them do an admirable job with their thankless roles, making for a generic but believably stuck family being torn apart by the spookiness around them.

But the haunted mirror isn’t any old haunted mirror. Ed and Lorraine had investigated it the day of Judy’s birth, and the demon still wants Judy. So Judy is drawn to the mirror and takes pity on the Smurls, demanding her parents help one more family. And so the board is set for one last showdown, Warrens v. Demon, mirror style.

Director Michael Chaves, who’s helmed several of the Conjuring spinoffs, pulls off a few notable scares despite mirrors not being the most ominous haunted item. The scene with Judy trying on her wedding dress is an obvious and flashy highlight, but there are some simple but effective ones, as well. A phone cord being pulled into darkness when everyone in the house is accounted for? A nice little moment drawn out to squirm-inducing effect.

Enough of these are peppered in to keep the movie sufficiently scary, but the extended time away from the Smurls does weigh the film down. Ed and Lorraine refuse to help a few too many times, leading to long scenes of their own family drama without a whiff of spooky stuff. This is where Wilson and Farmiga’s skills really lift the film. Sure, it’s not scary, but it’s charming to see Wilson puff up protectively as Judy’s boyfriend, Tony, pulls out a ring. Farmiga’s darting eyes take in the tension as quickly as she takes in ghosts, and she navigates the situation just as expertly. The two have such a rapport that they feel like a long-married pair, and their ease with these characters and the absurd situations they end up in will be missed if this truly is their last outing.

And Last Rite does get pretty absurd, especially with a late logistical development that makes defeating the mirror a humorous balancing act. Four films into the main series and the horror has become repetitive. Ghost and demons can only do so many things to a family, and the Warrens can only do so many variations on their Catholic salvation. The surprising quality of the first two Conjuring movies are long gone. What we’re left with is a shell of itself, but as long as Wilson and Farmiga are there to navigate what’s left, the Conjuring movies will always bring just enough to be worthwhile.

Release: In theaters now
Director: Michael Chaves
Writers: Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy