The Scream Queen

James Wan sure does know how to spawn a franchise; from infamous torture porn-fest Saw to the murky demon underworld of Insidious, Wan is used to terrifying audiences with his horror blockbusters. But one franchise in particular has truly taken on a life of its own, spawning a horror cinematic universe to rival Marvel. Of course, it’s The Conjuring. Beginning over a decade ago with the what proved to be an instant hit, The Conjuring has since given birth to 4 Warren outings, 3 Annabelle spin-off’s, 2 Nun movies, and 1 Crooked Man idea that thankfully never made it past pre-production (I haven’t counted La Llorona here because 1. I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with The Conjuring and 2. No one saw it anyways). That’s almost a movie per year, which is basically unheard of in the present cinema scape. Not all of them have been great – in fact most of them are far from it – but the Warren’s and their gang of ghouls have managed to persist even through the era of ‘elevated horror’; and now they’re back for one final hurrah in The Conjuring: The Last Rites.

If there is one thing that fans deeply appreciate about The Conjuring-verse, it’s not the exorcisms or the demons or the jumpscares – it’s the undying, unwavering love between protagonists Ed and Lorraine Warren.* Played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga respectively, the Warren’s are the backbone of what makes the franchise so watchable – that’s why the spin-offs never quite work as well as the original series. In a strange way, The Conjuring films are as much romance as they are horror. And this is no more apparent than in The Last Rites, where a great deal of fan service focuses directly in on the Warren family. As such, the film begins with a flashback to the Warren’s first ever case, where an evil mirror causes Lorraine to go into labour, giving birth to their daughter, Judy; a character who is in every movie, but doesn’t get her time to shine until now. For fans of the Warren’s storyline, this film neatly ties their narrative up in a perfect bow. But for those looking for scares akin to the original movie, The Last Rites may not be the gift they were hoping to receive.

*Here, I am explicitly talking about the movie versions of the Warren’s; the real life Warren’s are not as revered by fans, and certainly were not as saintly as they are in The Conjuring.

Undeniably, James Wan has proven to be king of the jumpscare; even when you can see it coming a mile off, Wan’s expert craft always manages to produce a flinch at the least. The Last Rites is no different, although some of its tricks do begin to feel tired. Most of the scares riff off similar scenes from the previous movies, and although paying homage to some of these iconic moments can be forgiven, it is wearing when it feels like there’s a distinct lack of originality. Nonetheless, The Conjuring franchise has never been one to break the laws of horror, and it knows exactly who its audience is. The Last Rites is as camp as ever and, as with each film, further strays from its ‘based on a true story’ tagline into a ridiculousness that is far from reality. For example, this one features the Warren’s defeating a haunted mirror with the power of family (classic).

Although the Warren’s are always a joy to watch, basically acting as The Avengers of the demonology world, the time spent relinquishing in their family troubles does extract from the case of the Smurl family – the ones being terrorised by the haunted mirror. The way in which the Smurl’s and the Warren’s are connected does at times feel forced and convoluted, as there is a sense that The Last Rites needs to up the grandiose for its big finale. But it unfortunately ends up all slightly lacklustre, as the climax feels like a rushed blow-by-blow of everything we’ve seen before.

The real highlight of The Last Rites comes after all the possessions and demon hunting, at Judy’s wedding, where all the families from the past 3 Conjuring movies gather, alongside original director James Wan and Nun actress Bonnie Aarons, to celebrate the franchise which has wormed its way into horror fans’ hearts around the world. In a moment tinged with metatextuality, we are reminded that horror is about community; whether for better or for worse, The Conjuring franchise has had a insurmountable impact on not only horror, but on pop culture itself. It may not be the most unique, or the best quality, or even the most interesting – but The Conjuring will certainly never be forgotten.

Final Verdict:

It’s the end of a horror era as we wave goodbye to Annabelle, the Nun, and the Warrens (allegedly). Many will be glad to see them go, but their departure from the big screen brings a terrifying 12 year legacy to an end. Packed with everything you’ve come to expect from the franchise, the final Conjuring instalment doesn’t offer up any new scares for horror fans – but that was to be expected. The Last Rites is a mixtape of the franchise’s greatest hits. That’s not to say it’s anywhere close to number one, but if you’ve come this far, you have to see it through. It’s weirdly sentimental, camp as always, and provides a fitting conclusion for cinemas favourite demon busting couple.