Michael Chaves returns to helm The Conjuring: Last Rites, the ninth instalment in the long-running supernatural horror saga, and what could very well be its most emotional entry yet.
Written by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, the film draws on the infamous Smurl haunting while weaving in a deeply personal chapter for Ed and Lorraine Warren.
Returning to the central roles of these real-life paranormal investigators for one last time are Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who anchor the scares with their usual warmth and gravitas. Their chemistry, balanced between steadfast faith and weary vulnerability, grounds the film even amidst its most terrifying sequences. Farmiga’s mix of strength and fragility is a reminder of why Lorraine has been one of the genre’s most compelling characters since 2013’s first Conjuring instalment. The addition of Mia Tomlinson as Judy Warren, Ed and Lorraine’s daughter, and Ben Hardy as her boyfriend Tony Spera broadens the family dynamic and ups the stakes.
Chaves executes the scares with precision, building up atmosphere rather than relying on cheap jolts. Unnerving set pieces unfold around ordinary domestic spaces, making the Smurls’ Pennsylvania home feel like a living, breathing threat. Shadows, mirrors, and silence play a pivotal role, tapping into primal fears while keeping the suspense levels up.
So Last Rites delivers on demonic terror, but it also has at its heart an exploration of legacy, love, and the burdens of carrying faith through darkness. Though there’s little innovative, it’s an impressive balance of horror with poignancy.
THE CONJURING: LAST RITES is in cinemas now.
