2025 was a big year for movies in general, but mainly because it closed out one of the best horror movie franchises of all time. The Conjuring: Last Rites received love from critics, and even CinemaBlend's review called it a fitting end for the franchise. I finally got a chance to check it out with my HBO Max subscription, and as a big fan of the movies, I was upset that I was let down.
If I were to rank The Conjuring movies against the rest of horror franchises, I would have it near the top. As such, I had high expectations for the final movie, hoping to have lasting memories of Ed and Lorraine's "final case". I was let down, mainly because of how much I had to see of the title characters.
I Found The Conjuring: Last Rites To Be Too Warren-Forward
I never really stopped to think about it until now, but I realized that the reason I watch The Conjuring movies is solely for the cases. I'm not in it for the Warrens, so the entire movie, which largely centers around their family dynamic with their daughter, did absolutely nothing for me. In fact, it made me angrier than anything else, because I wanted to see the family in the thick of some bonkers horror adventure. I get how rare an opportunity is to allow horror icons to ride into the sunset, but to be as candid as I can be, nothing was interesting to me about that. As such, I was let down, and I'd rank the final movie by far my least favorite of The Conjuring movies to date.
The Less I Could Focus On Ed And Lorraine In Conjuring Movies, The Better
Don't get me wrong, this isn't about Patrick Gibson and Vera Farmiga, as I love their portrayal of the Warrens as much as anyone else. What does bug me, however, is the divisiveness of the real-life Warrens, who have their fair share of critics in the paranormal world. Despite their widespread fame thanks to The Conjuring movies, it is well-documented that they were considered frauds.
Truthfully, I would've liked it if The Conjuring: Last Rites acknowledged this and showed people reacting with skepticism to the Warrens and their supposed paranormal investigations. It would've been a terrific way to recognize their controversial status as celebrated paranormal investigators, but obviously, the movie went a different direction.
It's my personal problem of knowing what I know about the Warren family and being unable to enjoy stories about their personal lives, knowing what I know. I wish I could separate the fiction from reality, but in the cast of The Conjuring: Last Rites, I just couldn't. I am happy to hear that others didn't mind it, however, and were able to enjoy the movie all the same.
Stream The Conjuring: Last Rites over on HBO Max right now, or check out some of the other great horror movies on the platform. I know the holiday season is fast approaching, but it's always great to break things up with a little scary movie every now and then.
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