Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are back as Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring: Last Rites, the ninth and final installment of the Conjuring Universe franchise. The first reviews of the horror sequel have arrived online, and it’s being called a proper send-off. Highlights include Wilson and Farmiga’s performance and the heart of the family drama on top of the scares, but while fans of the franchise will likely be satisfied, some say its script could have been better.
Here’s what critics are saying about The Conjuring: Last Rites:
How does it compare to the rest of the franchise?
The Conjuring: Last Rites is easily one of the best of the entire franchise.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
Fortunately, it offers a story that feels back on track… If you loved that first movie, then you’ll enjoy this one too.
— Karina Adelgaard, Heaven of Horror
It might be the best-looking Conjuring film since the first… [and] probably the funniest entry in the series.
— Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm
The stakes feel different than any other Conjuring film because… [it’s] about the Warrens facing down the totality of their history together, their faith in one another, and the cost of a life spent battling evil.
— Nagier Chambers, Big Gold Belt Media
It’s not the scariest film in the series, and it’s not the most interesting one either, but it’s still The Conjuring, in the same way that even the blandest Star Wars story is still technically Star Wars.
— William Bibbiani, TheWrap
It all feels old hat by now, with returning director Michael Chaves failing to bring much freshness or vitality to the proceedings.
— Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
The story ends up on rails, and the stakes seem smaller than ever, despite a bloated, franchise-high runtime.
— J. Kim Murphy, Variety
Not only does the movie break the franchise record as the longest movie in The Conjuring Universe, but it also exposes more glaring flaws that are hard to ignore.
— Casey Chong, Casey’s Movie Mania
Is it better than The Devil Made Me Do It?
After the previous iteration, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, fumbled hard by not delivering basic franchise fundamentals, it’s heartening to see director Michael Chaves’ follow-up righting those wrongs.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
While The Devil Made Me Do It saw the Warrens take a little bit of a backseat, Last Rites takes the criticisms levelled at its predecessor and course corrects, ensuring that all of the film’s emotional throughlines stem from the Warren family.
— Amy West, GamesRadar+
Director Michael Chaves continues to sharpen his skills as a filmmaker, and it shows that he’s learned from his experiences on The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and The Nun II.
— Jonathan James, Daily Dead
[Returning director Michael Chaves] is in improved form here, armed with a few commanding images.
— J. Kim Murphy, Variety
Does it help to be a die-hard Conjuring universe fan?
It’s all a bit muddled and not entirely convincing, but it somehow works because the franchise has built up so much good faith by making us love the Warrens.
— Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm
For the Annabelle fans, let’s just say you’re going to be much happier. To a certain extent, Last Rites could be considered the final Annabelle film, too!
— Bill Bria, Discussing Film
Last Rites has one of the best among the Conjuring series’ requisite Annabelle appearances – but not enough to be truly satisfying overall.
— Eric Goldman, IGN Movies
Fans will get something out of it. Everyone else will shrug and say it’s OK.
— William Bibbiani, TheWrap
Fans of the franchise will probably go to see it, but they won’t walk away satisfied.
— Allison Rose, FlickDirect
What works best in this installment?
Getting back to the Smurl Family… mostly, because it brought this core franchise back to a classic family and their house.
— Karina Adelgaard, Heaven of Horror
Even more successful than the jump scares is the film’s heart, which is abundant throughout.
— Bill Bria, Discussing Film
I cannot believe I cried (multiple times) during a horror movie, but here we are. There are several moments that really got me in my feels.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
What really elevates Last Rites is the craft on display… The low-light photography is especially impressive, turning darkness into a character in its own right.
— Nagier Chambers, Big Gold Belt Media
A Terrence Malick-inspired montage in act one, showing Judy growing up, surrounded by her parents’ love, warmth, and safety, is a glorious chorus of cinematographer Eli Born and editors Elliot Greenberg and Gregory Plotkin’s work.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
Is it scary?
Terrifying… Nothing makes me happier than watching a movie through my fingers as I push my body as far away from the screen as humanly possible. And I admit that is how I watched the majority of this film.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
There are some great scares in Last Rites, including one that ranks in the top 5 of the whole franchise.
— Bill Bria, Discussing Film
There are some solid horror set pieces in Last Rites, particularly early on.
— Eric Goldman, IGN Movies
Chaves has put together a gaggle of memorable horror set pieces that invoke the type of scares one gets from a carnival haunted house — you jump, you scream, you laugh, you move on to the next thing with nervous anticipation.
— Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm
Last Rites is suitably nightmarish where it counts, bringing memorable chills that linger and spilling more blood than usual in a Conjuring film.
— Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting
There are little to no jump scares, minimal gore.
— Allison Rose, FlickDirect
The movie commits the biggest sin by failing to dial up the scare factor… There are plenty of jump scares, but most of them are unfortunately predictable.
— Casey Chong, Casey’s Movie Mania
While skillful horror can exploit audience expectations, a final franchise entry mostly filled with callbacks isn’t especially scary.
— Jacob Oller, AV Club
How are Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga this time?
Wilson and Farmiga continue to deliver fantastic performances, energizing every scene they share.
— Jonathan James, Daily Dead
Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson continue to be endlessly watchable.
— Amy West, GamesRadar+
Farmiga and Wilson haven’t lost their appeal, and with their relaxed chemistry, they make for engaging company.
— Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
[They] have more to play than ever and rise to the occasion. They’ve rightfully become genre icons for their subtly calibrated performances.
— J. Kim Murphy, Variety
Where the rapport between Wilson and Farmiga saw the previous entries through their quieter moments, Last Rites spreads itself too thin for these veterans to explore their earned pathos.
— Jacob Oller, AV Club
Are there any other standout performances?
Tomlinson delivers a terrifically intense performance as the psychically gifted Judy, leading one to think she could easily headline yet another Conjuring offshoot.
— Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
Tomlinson gives it everything she has, and she’s so good that Last Rites likely wouldn’t work without her.
— Bill Bria, Discussing Film
Mia Tomlinson as Judy impresses, proving she’s a natural star.
— Jonathan James, Daily Dead
Hardy is also very good as the sweet and solid former cop who loves Judy.
— Allison Rose, FlickDirect
Does it have any major problems?
The biggest issue plaguing Last Rites is that it starts to feel overstuffed… The Smurls, meanwhile, are the least-developed family the Warrens have helped.
— Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm
The worst of the film comes in the form of the plot and script. The story is poorly written, and none of the characters are very well fleshed out.
— Allison Rose, FlickDirect
Pacing tends to be a bit of an issue… It takes a long time and a handful of repetitious story beats to finally get to where we already know we’re heading.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
For too much of the run time, Last Rites feels like we’re watching two different movies playing out, because it takes so long to bring the Smurls and the Warrens together.
— Eric Goldman, IGN Movies
Unfortunately for the Smurls, they aren’t at the center of the plot in the same way the Perrons and the Hodgsons were in the first two installments, making them side characters in their own haunting.
— Bill Bria, Discussing Film
Is this a good place for the franchise to end?
If this truly is the end, then the Conjuring series has gone out on top.
— Nagier Chambers, Big Gold Belt Media
Whether The Conjuring: Last Rites is the best of the sequels is up for debate, but it’s certainly good enough for the series to go out on a high note.
— Bill Bria, Discussing Film
It’s always good to end on a high note.
— Karina Adelgaard, Heaven of Horror
Whatever the flaws of The Conjuring series as a whole, Last Rites feels like a worthy conclusion.
— Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm
That this highly derivative horror series bottoms out by over-investing in the Warrens is a sure sign that it is well past its utility.
— J. Kim Murphy, Variety
If this is what the Conjuring films have come to, then I am glad this will be the last in the series.
— Allison Rose, FlickDirect
The Conjuring: Last Rites opens in theaters on September 5, 2025.
