After winning Oscar awards for its two original movies in The Conjuring Universe, a fourth film was recently released, sparking renewed public interest. The Conjuring: Last Rites followed the movie’s sequel, which features unique real-life events surrounding the story of the Smurl family haunting.
The Conjuring: Last Rites serves as a finale to the Warren family’s ghost-investigations. It shifts the focus from the cases, including the Warrens’ personal journey, to highlight resolution, healing, and eventual peace.
With this being the last movie in the franchise, viewers had mixed opinions. Some appreciated the strong performances of Ed and Lorraine Warren, but many others found the film disappointing. Multiple viewers claim the movie had weak, predictable jump scares, pacing issues, and a muddled story. Pembroke Pines Charter High School junior Fabrizio Alcazar says, “I’ve always loved The Conjuring movies, but I feel like these last two movies aren’t the same as the original ones.”
The film starts with Lorraine Warren experiencing a vision tied to a cursed mirror that later torments the Smurl Family in Pennsylvania. The Warrens, who had retired from paranormal investigation, were drawn to the case when their daughter, Judy, urged them to investigate.
This haunting forces them to confront one of their darkest cases, in turn blending family struggles with supernatural terror. Despite the darker storyline, many horror fans argued that the film consisted of recycled jump scares and a plotline that felt overworked.
Jokes and memes were quickly spread across online forums and reviews, with people claiming that the film was so unsettling they felt compelled to seek spiritual guidance after watching it. “It was creepy, but honestly, that’s what made it so good, I couldn’t look away,” says sophomore Noah Mercado.
Some took the idea more seriously, saying the film’s atmosphere left them genuinely uneasy. Still, supporters of the movie highlight that they see its true purpose: closure. The movie demonstrates Judy finding happiness in adulthood, and the Warrens finally putting the cursed mirror to rest. For more than a decade, these films have blended supernatural fear with true events. Whether The Conjuring: Last Rites was a worthy finale or an underwhelming farewell, fans of the franchise say it left a lasting mark on modern horror.
