THE CONJURING: LAST RITES: 2 ½ STARS. “left me wanting more, but also less.”
SYNOPSIS: In “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” a new supernatural thriller starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson now playing in theaters, retired paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren get back into ghostbusting when a demon haunts the Smurl family home in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. “Once we start, there’s no going back,” says Ed (Patrick Wilson). “Anything can happen and most likely anything will.”
CAST: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy Steve Coulter, Rebecca Calder, Elliot Cowan, Kíla Lord Cassidy, Beau Gadsdon, John Brotherton, and Shannon Kook. Directed by Michael Chaves.
REVIEW: Based on the real-life exploits of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), “The Conjuring: Last Rites” is the haunting conclusion to the franchise, which began in 2013.
The story begins in 1964 with a younger version of the Warrens, played by Orion Smith and Madison Lawlor, on their first case. As they investigate a haunted mirror, Lorraine goes into labor and is rushed to the hospital. Trouble is, a demon of some sort tags along.
Cut to 1986. Judy Warren (Mia Tomlinson) is now grown up with a boyfriend Tony Spera (Ben Hardy) who is ready to propose. She’s happy, but has inherited her mother’s clairvoyance, and struggles to keep the visions in check.
The Warrens, meanwhile, are looking to retire, but are drawn back into the world of demonology after a request from the desperate Jack and Janet Smurl. Strange things are happening at their modest duplex. They hear eerie voices, a daughter barfs up gallons of blood, mysterious forces move objects and have attacked their two young daughters.
The Warrens, along with Judy and Tony, agree to investigate, and come up against one of their most powerful foes, the mirror demon from their first case.
Part domestic drama, part demonic spectacle, “The Conjuring: Last Rites” is a respectful goodbye to the Warrens. It finds a cozy balance between the families and the frights, which ups the stakes as the movie winds its way to the climatic exorcism. Somehow, director Michael Chaves manages to make jump scares warm and fuzzy.
Longtime fans will also enjoy the film’s Easter eggs. “Do you like dolls?” asks one of the Smurl children. “Not really,” says Judy, whose interactions with cursed toy Annabelle were less than positive.
Still, even though the characters are nicely rendered, at 135 minutes the movie feels overlong, as if the Warrens are reluctant to wrap things up, or, more likely, pass the demonic baton to daughter Judy.
I realize when dealing with demons it’s best to be cautious, but nobody seems to be in a hurry to do anything in this movie. Chaves never met a pause he couldn’t lengthen or a reveal he couldn’t stretch to the point of breaking. Instead of building atmosphere it slows the movie to crawl. So even with a wild climax that has the kind of horrific images fans expect, the slow pace of the rest of the film, is a curse.
“The Conjuring: Last Rites” left me simultaneously wanting more—more thrills and chills— but also less.
