By Grant Liguzinski
Fandango
Entertainment - Houston Chronicle
“Conjuring: The Last Rites” is the third and final installment in the main “Conjuring” series. According to NBC News, they spent $55 million and grossed $83 million on their opening weekend. This puts “Conjuring: The Last Rites” number one in grossing so far in September, followed by the rerelease of “Hamilton.” The “Conjuring: The Last Rites” is the biggest horror movie of 2025.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are returning stars from the previous “Conjuring” movies. Patrick Wilson plays the character of Ed Warren, and Vera Farmiga plays the character of Lorraine Warren. Mia Tomlinson plays the daughter of Ed and Lorraine, Judy Warren.
The movie begins as a flashback in a small shop, where Ed and Lorraine, two paranormal investigators, are examining a mirror where a baby, presumed dead, is seen. The movie then resumes in the present day where Ed and Lorraine are currently giving lectures at a university, taking a break from investigating paranormal activities.
Viewers soon learn that the mirror is gifted to the Smurl family. The Smurl family is your typical American family. They moved into a house in Pennsylvania and saw a rise in paranormal activity in their home. Jack and Janet are the Parents, and they have four daughters, Dawn, Heather, Shannon, and Karen. The Mirror was given to Heather as a confirmation gift. The mirror is long with three heads, and it looks old and beaten. Judy then goes on to convince her parents to help the Smurls after discovering that a series of unfortunate events has occurred.
Some parts felt predictable, and because of that, it was boring at some points.
There are a lot of creepy and disturbing images, which are just nerve-racking and uncomfortable, which makes sense for the R rating. However, the actors did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. I recommend watching the past movies before seeing this one. Because I had never watched them, I was a bit confused about who was who, but other than that, I do not feel like I missed anything storywise.
In the end, this movie is definitely worth watching and is frighteningly good.