greyKbarclay

A resounding end that left me with a smile but a slightly hollow feeling, thus we have concluded Ed and Lorraine Warren's story. In the lead up to the grand premiere of this true heart stopper, I was skeptical regarding whether or not his would actually be the last film in the series, but after watching it and seeing the place that Vera and Patrick have, quite naturally I'll add, landed with these two individuals it does feel like a definite end.

The story itself was as impressive as it was grand, but unfortunately left me feeling underwhelmed; it has always been a talent of the story leads to blend the world of the paranormal with the strong, emotional undercurrent of the familial aspect however I don't believe that the plot carried that needed gravitas to have the audience feel like they deserved the peaceful ending. With this particular story, I will say that I wholly expected more of a screen presence from Ed and Lorraine, considering this was their final farewell to the franchise, they seemed to almost take a little bit of a backseat. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson have always been one of the nominally phenomenal elements of these films (even in those darker days) because they make feel invested in the story and plights of the terrorised family, not dependent on whether or not you believe in the supernatural.

The scares themselves were a little cut and paste, all very much in the cane of The Conjuring but nothing unique to note specifically. Ultimately there is something omnipresent regarding jump scares in cinema, there are really only so many ways to deliver an effective scare and after 12 years and with ten films under the franchise's belt, they do all start to feel the same. They are undeniably visually stunning to watch however, Chaves produces some truly wonderful single shot sequences, with the audience nestled securely in the centre of them.

Overall, I have found this franchise to be one of the sparkling examples of highly effective and terrifying horror films. That first film premiered in 2013, and created such a high watermark to hit because it was truly just frightening, it didn't need the frills of a complex story and mind-spiralling twists because it knew what it was trying to accomplish, and I feel that this is a beautiful end to a shining romance between two people as they sough only to help those who needed them the most.

This film is a brilliant blend of romance, comedy, action and horror that is reminiscent of Indiana Jones, we even have an incredibly fallable but good natured hero in Brendan Fraser's Rick O' Connell, and a highly intelligent and capable heroine-cum-live interest with Rachel Weiss as Evie. They both fall into a tumultuous romance that feels somewhat forbidden, all while they scour Egypt for antiquities and accidentally awaken a creature Hell bent on earthly destruction. It all feels like a lost Indiana Jones story.

The technical effects, while are ropey and obviously dated in a 2025 lens, were undoubtedly seamless and widely successful when the film first premiered in 1999. The mummy visual effects themselves are still so watchable, especially as Imhotep moves further into a more human shape.

Nothing will ever beat those somewhat grim, silicone appearing effects of the 80s, when the masked slasher reigned supreme and kids at summer camps wore too-short-of-shorts just before being sliced and diced by... whoever the killer was in that film.

We had Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and Freddy Kruger taking the top spots of psychos slashers, however, below the veneer of recognizable and familiar horror sits the those who are steadily gathering dust as they wait for that unsuspecting teen to pick it up off a shelf, intrigue obvious to them as they take in that cover art. They'll soon discover The Burning, Cheerleader Camp and Mad Man (just a tiny smattering of Sleepaway camp- based corny horror titles).

Tom Savini takes the reins in this cult indie horror sleeper, giving a dash of his showmanship flair for special effects. Also a man not afraid to admit his shortfalls; he now recognizes the unbelievable appearance that he gave his devastated burn victim. It's understandable considering his own tools of practicals effects, are in the end, quite impossible at removing lips, eyelids and noses, which all come to ahead in creating Cropsy. His face, while not entirely medically accurate, it is still undoubtedly horrifying to look at, especially when you imagine the kind of excruciating pain that he has endured for years.