It’s surreal that considered one of Hollywood’s greatest marital portraits comes courtesy of a horror franchise.
“The Conjuring: Final Rites,” the fourth movie within the saga (not together with “Annabelle” and “The Nun” spinoffs) reunites us with Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga). The paranormal sleuths ain’t afraid of no ghosts, however by way of all of it, they continue to be a loving, wholesome couple.
Awww!
This time, we get to know their grownup daughter, an addition that not solely expands the canvas however gives one other Warren of consequence.
Oh, and there’s some first-rate scares together with the form of plot holes style followers know too effectively.
The film opens within the Nineteen Sixties, when a really pregnant Lorraine almost loses her little one after a supernatural encounter. Child Judy survives and grows up with Momma’s curse. She, too, can sense spirits in her midst.
Newcomer Mia Tomlinson performs the grownup Judy, a fully-formed character full with a doting beau (Ben Hardy) wanting to impress her people. Their love story is a key a part of the movie, and it’s handled with reverence.
The Warrens are formally out of the sleuthing enterprise as we reunite with them within the Eighties. That’s partly resulting from Ed’s worrisome coronary heart situation. His ticker flares up every time the story requires it, wouldn’t ya know?
They’re dragged again into the muck when a Pennsylvania household runs right into a relic with ties to the Warrens’ early years. Retirement must wait.
“Final Rites” shouldn’t exceed the two-hour mark prefer it does, however the movie proves engrossing from begin to end. The screenplay could also be one other committee effort, however it packs sufficient heat exchanges and cultural nods to maintain our consideration.
Just a few groaners nonetheless slip by, together with one which helped goose the advertising and marketing marketing campaign – “it’s like nothing we’ve seen earlier than,” or a derivation thereof.
Sorry. We’ve seen loads of these haunted horrors earlier than. And so have the cinematic Warrens.
James Wan explains why THE CONJURING: LAST RITES is the ultimate installment:
“We don’t wish to be doing this 20 motion pictures down the road, the place we’ve pushed the franchise into the bottom. We love the concept we’re going out with a giant bang while everybody’s nonetheless loving the world.” pic.twitter.com/mkmGdHc4Bp
— Bloody Disgusting (@BDisgusting) August 25, 2025
One minor quibble? This paranormal couple appears unprepared when the ghosts make their presence felt. Aren’t they ghostbusting veterans by now? They typically seem like rookies, frozen with concern.
Just a few horror sequences provide massive scares, whereas others really feel generic. Credit score Michael Chaves for giving even the weaker moments some chunk, however we’ve been spoiled by “Sinners” and “Weapons.”
This sequel doesn’t reinvent the style. It marinates in our expectations, however the deal with the household makes all the things richer.
That’s doubly true for Hardy’s character, who should not solely fend off evil spirits however win over a pair who’ve seen all of it.
Actually.
It’s a candy contact in a horror film that brims with heat embraces. Chaves balances these disparate tones with stunning grace. It could look simple, however it’s not.
Wilson and Farmiga retain their stellar display screen chemistry, and their parental love for Judy is palpable. Horror motion pictures at all times thrive once we care about the principle characters. That’s the key to this saga’s success.
“Final Rites” suggests that is the top of the highway for the ghostbusting Warrens. The ultimate moments provide a sleek coda, one that may solely be marred by one factor – overwhelming field workplace success sparking a fifth installment.
HiT or Miss: “The Conjuring: Final Rites” places the emphasis the place it belongs – the married couple that launched the franchise.