The Conjuring: Last Rites

I watched an installment from this universe through The Nun II, a film I found frightening but also oddly captivating. Compared to that, this installment strikes a different balance: it delivers its share of scares, but it also leans into moments that don’t always make sense—perhaps deliberately, as a way to heighten tension. Like the previous entries in the franchise, the story is rooted in a “true case,” giving the film a sense of authenticity, though this time the narrative feels more like a summoning than a retelling of the past. What I appreciated is that the film avoids overreliance on flashbacks, keeping the momentum in the present.

At its core, the movie is less about the supernatural and more about the mother-daughter dynamic that anchors the story. The performances, while serviceable, rarely rise above average, and the direction feels competent but not particularly distinctive. The horror itself is certainly present, with moments that effectively jolt and unsettle, but the storytelling may divide audiences—some will dismiss it as weakly written, while others, like me, may find it compelling enough to stay engaged.

Staff:

Directed by: Michael Chaves

Screenplay by: Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick

Story by: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and James Wan

Based on: Characters by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes

Produced by: James Wan and Peter Safran

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson, and Ben Hardy

Cinematography: Eli Born

Edited by: Gregory Plotkin and Elliot Greenberg

Music by: Benjamin Wallfisch

Production companies: New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster, The Safran Company, and Domain Entertainment

Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release date: September 5, 2025

Running time: 135 minutes