The Conjuring franchise has been a hallmark of modern horror, and with The Conjuring: Last RItes it’s clear that the series still has more unsettling stories to tell. The new film stars Patrick WIlson and Vera Farmiga reprising their roles as the iconic paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorrane Warren. The film dives into their most personal case, but does it live up to the tension and psychological terror of the original Conjuring movie?
Overall, Last Rites is a good film due to a variety of elements. The film does a stellar job of creating an eerie atmosphere which allows the audience to feel the dread building throughout the movie,combined with the dark, creepy setting that makes you constantly on edge.
The director, Micheal Chaves, understood how to create an incredible mood with the power of the unknown. The return of the Warrens was easily the most incredible part of the movie due to Verma Farmiga and Patrick Wilson’s performances. The chemistry which gave the original conjuring film life was still very prevalent in the new film. The relationship between them feels real as a couple and as paranormal investigators who have seen unimaginable horror.
Their performance really makes you feel they are trying to hold on to each other through all of the terror and chaos they’ve been through. They carry the film emotionally and give it the heart it needs to go beyond just another ghost story.
The film doesn’t rely on constant cheap jumpscares, but instead uses creepy and tense atmosphere in scenes which keep you guessing if everyone will make it out alive.
On the visual side it’s a great looking film. The cinematography leans into heavy shadows, candlelit rooms, and narrow corridors which make every scene feel claustrophobic. The film, while terrifying, is also beautiful in a dark, haunted way.
The film’s use of space is a highlight feature. Scenes are framed in ways which make you constantly aware of your environment around you. The score, composed by Joseph Bishara, is unsettling, but the absence of music in certain scenes was the real weapon for creating dread and unease.
Though there are a lot of great things going on in the film, it can make the film feel a little bloated. Last Rites is a great film, but it really struggles with the over use of subplots. This issue has been building in the conjuring universe for years, and unfortunately Last Rites couldn’t break the curse of a bloated Conjuring film. Instead of focusing fully on one haunting or core mystery, the film gets distracted by introducing too many subplots.
The Smurl family, the people whose house is haunted, feel completely undeveloped and underutilized because of the subplots. At times, it feels like the film is setting up spin-offs instead of telling the best possible story, and creating a proper sendoff for Ed and Loraine. While the first half is full of tension and mystery, the second half stretches itself thin. The final act, while exciting, lacks the great emotional pay off for Ed and Loraine that the original had.
It’s impossible to watch Last Rites without thinking about The Conjuring from 2013. The original was a captivating film; it was terrifying, intriguing, and emotionally gripping. James Wan’s direction was sharp and controlled which made every scene feel impactful. It balanced fear and feeling which formed one of the greatest films ever.
While the last rights comes close to the level of the original film, especially with its tone and visuals, it never matched the perfect blend of emotion and horror of the original. Both films however built dread expertly: the camera holding different spaces, shadows lingering, and eerie sounds which unsettle the audience.
Last Rites in some senses is more polished with more natural dialogue flow, better music integration, and smoother transitions between scenes. Although it’s more polished, Last Rites lacks the emotional impact of the original, but it is still one of the best entries in the series.
Overall, it was great with incredible acting and cinematography, but lacking the magnificent integration of emotional impact and terror the original had. While it can’t escape the shadow of the original, it is still a fantastic movie, and it’s a great watch for horror fans.
