The Conjuring: Last Rites

The conjuring and the conjuring 2 remain some of the best horror films within the last 15 years for my taste. Some would even say the conjuring is one of the top horror films of all time. WAN found his niche within his created conjuring universe with the likes of these films, insidious, and all of the other spin offs. With this has come quite a few more filler movies from other directors that are much less experienced aside from (Whannell) at the helm. Michael Chaves is not a bad director by any means, but this simply does not hold a candle to the first two films or even the last one which was actually decently solid. This one just feels like the most uninteresting of the four and while it has a few decent demonic scares and visuals, it simply does not serve that much of a purpose other than a supposed ending. I actually do not think this will be truly the last of the conjuring films either, though I think it should've ended after the last one. I can think of at least three other films within the universe that aren't even great by any means, but are still more interesting than this. Annabelle Creation, The Nun, and even insidious 4 are all more effective . That's not to say this doesn't have a few redeeming qualities if you're a fan, but if it really was the end, Wan should've ended the Warren's story ...

The 9th film in The Conjuring Universe and the intended finale of the saga so far, The Conjuring: Last Rites starts on a rather promising note and even features a strong first half but soon heads downhill after that to finish as another underwhelming chapter in the series. Definitely no match to the first two films but certainly an improvement over the third, this latest entry settles for a lot less than what was up for grabs.

Directed by Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona & The Nun II), the story finds the Warrens taking on one last case that forces them to confront an evil from their past. Chaves never really was the right choice to helm the main stories but he does get some things right before resorting to cheap thrills. The film takes a slow-burn approach that patiently guides us towards the finale that proves to be downright forgettable.

The first two films directed by James Wan had that vintage quality, old-school flair, foreboding atmosphere & effective scares that heightened the experience. This one borrows bit of that for the build-up but fails to capitalise on it later in the story. Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga remain the glue holding this picture together and their warm chemistry helps keep things afloat for the most part but the film needed more on all fronts.

Overall, The Conjuring: Last Rites brings the Ed & Lorraine Warren journey full circle and gives them a proper send-off with its radiant epilogue but for a climactic chapter, it is disappointing without doubt. Add to that, like most instalments in the franchise, the jump scares are bland & predictable, lacking in intensity, and also devoid of the ingredients that made its predecessors stand out. In short, a lacklustre finale of The Conjuring saga.

The movie has a slow build-up but lacks interest in developing the story of the demon, or it had a rushed ending with a lot of questions not being answered. As the movie has a few sequels, we expect more as an audience. For me, The Conjuring 2 is still the best, with a perfect build-up and living up to the characters. It was a shame to see such a good story turn into another "fast food" movie.

I went into this flick hoping for a grand send-off. What I got was a limp, recycled mess that felt more like a bad spin-off than the franchise's finale. The setup had promise, but the movie just dragged until the halfway point. By then, I'd already checked my watch 2 times.

The screenplay? Paper thin. Characters exist just to be spooked, and the scares are predictable jump-outs you can see a mile away. There's no tension, no atmosphere, just loud bangs and cheap tricks. At this point, you can practically set a stopwatch to when the next door will slam.

And then there's Michael Chaves. Let's be real-this isn't his first stumble. La Llorona was weak. The Devil Made Me Do It barely felt like a horror movie. The Nun II was a snooze. And now here we are again, same bag of empty tricks. He confuses loud noises for scares and speed bumps for suspense. If James Wan built this house of horror with care, Chaves has turned it into a carnival ride running out of batteries.

Who in their right mind thought that hey let's give the guy who delivered 3 trashes in a row another story to butcher? Perfect for a franchise closer.

Sure, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga do their best, as always. Their chemistry still works, but they can't carry a whole movie on their backs. A "heartfelt farewell" means nothing when the movie itself can't even scare a nervous teenager in a dark theater.

I went in with high expectations, but this final film turned out to be a letdown. The story isn't very powerful-it feels more like an extended family drama than a true Conjuring movie. What disappointed me most was that the focus shifted away from Ed and Lorraine, the heart of the franchise.

The scares rely too much on jump scares, loud noises, and crude tricks to shock the audience. They startle, but they don't deliver the bone-chilling fear that earlier Conjuring films are known for.

It's not a total waste of money or time, but as the last chapter of such a beloved franchise, it feels like a weak wrap-up. I left the theater more sorry than satisfied.