The horror franchise; The Conjuring has made a comeback: now even stronger and better than ever. This jumpscare packed prequel, The Conjuring: The Last Rites directed by Michael Chaves, released on September 5th, 2025, portrays Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators, who travel to Pennsylvania after the Smurl family seek help from them.
The Conjuring Franchise, a series of pure horror and adrenaline, has a great reputation of being based on true events(And yes, it is actually true). Going back to when it all started, Ed and Lorraine Warren, an investigative couple, travel around the world in order to help families rid themselves of demonic or paranormal spirits. In this particular film, featuring one of the couple’s most haunted cases, the Smurl family desperately reach out for help against a demonic presence terrorizing their home.
As for the true story, the events were portrayed accurately and occurred around 1986. According to People, Jack and Janet Smurl, the parents of the family, established their home in Pittston, Pennsylvania, and grew their family in the upcoming years. Following almost a year later, they began to experience paranormal activity within their home, such as witnessing a falling ceiling light, the children being thrown around against walls, and weird stenches. Eventually, a pastor from a local church was able to exorcise the spirits living in their home. Following this case, Ed and Lorraine continued to pursue their careers in the paranormal, eventually each passing away naturally. Although some of these real-life events weren’t as accurately portrayed in the film, it still maintained a consistent storyline throughout.
As soon as the movie starts, we are reintroduced to Ed and Lorraine, who vouch that they have ended their paranormal investigating reign due to Ed’s heart problems., Instead, they now write books and give lectures. However, soon after, their daughter, Judy, begins experiencing hallucinations. Surprisingly enough, after the couple investigate further in fear of losing their daughter, they are led to the Smurl family. And so, they pack their bags to begin yet another case, one that will end their careers once and for all. Once they arrive, the couple happily greet and shake hands with the Smurls. Feeling a sense of sympathy, Lorraine steps into their house, but immediately feels a wave of absolute agony and terror overwhelm her. Terrified but wanting to help, they agree to perform an exorcism, hopefully to free the family of their suffering. However, things don’t exactly go as planned, and you will know why this case was their last.
From when I first stepped into the movie theatre to when I left, I was experiencing a roller coaster of emotions. This film was pure jumpscare fuel. As a chronic horror consumer, this movie was not eerie or disturbing in terms of its concept, but the way the director placed his jumpscares was enough to make up for the loss of psychological horror. Not only did the jumpscares absolutely shatter my ears, but also left a permanent engrained image into my head. In simple terms, the jumpscares would rank S tier and definitely packed a punch. The Conjuring: Last Rites definitely introduced a new concept of demonic entities driven by pure vengeance and rage, and I bet you’ll be surprised watching it for the first time.
Overall, in terms of film critics’ opinions on the movie, many say that it did not incorporate as many horror elements, but rather, an emotional and compelling storyline. Themes such as family, motherhood, as well as empathy were touched upon, and actually made the film more unique. It’s best to watch with your family or friends, as you will surely sympathize with the characters and the bonds they shared.
In my opinion, I would rate this film a solid 8 out of 10. Although I enjoyed the unique relationships between characters, I was only there for the horror aspects, which I did not get much of. However, “The Conjuring: Last Rites” is still a solid horror movie and can leave a lasting impact on you!
