Does evil ever really die? That’s exactly what you will question while watching “The Conjuring: Last Rites”. Even when you think you have conquered your fears, do they ever really quit? That’s for you to decide. Will you keep fighting or give up?

“The Conjuring: Last Rites” is the newest film within the Conjuring franchise, it was released Sept. 5. The Conjuring franchise consists of four main films including the newest film. First being “The Conjuring” released in 2013, then “The Conjuring 2” in 2016, and finally “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” in 2021. There are also movies that build off stories preexisting in the main Conjuring films, they include “Anabelle” released in 2013,“Anabelle: Creation” in 2017, “The Nun” in 2018, “Anabelle Comes Home” in 2019, “The Curse of La Llorona” also in 2019, and finally “The Nun 2” in 2023.

The main Conjuring films are based around real-life paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren. Many of their paranormal cases and encounters are what inspired these films. All four of the main films were based on true stories and real families who were affected by the supernatural. As if the thought of being haunted by something that is unknown isn’t scary enough, these films tend to dramatize the scene. In a way this almost puts the viewer in the shoes of the people who actually experienced it, letting us feel the fear they felt.

This specific story “The Conjuring: Last Rites” introduces us to a new side of a character that hasn’t been shown and that is Ed and Lorraine’s daughter, Judy Warren. Ever since Judy was little she carried something spirit-like with her, her mom always taught her to suppress it and never allow it to get to her. Soon in the film we are shown that you can’t hide from your fears forever. Yet there was something else that Lorraine was hiding from Judy. The Warrens entered a time in their lives where they were done with anything paranormal and they weren’t taking any new cases. As both Ed and Lorraine are growing in age and Ed is dealing with health issues. They found it best to put that part of their life in the past and not put anything at risk. Until one stood out to them and they couldn’t just avoid it, mostly because Judy was drawn to it. After various strange events occur the Warren family find themselves at a home in Pennsylvania belonging to the Smurl family. When the Warrens arrived the Smurls were so grateful that someone was willing to help them. The Warrens realize it’s nothing they have ever dealt with before. This case was much deeper than just a “Haunted House”, it is a connection with the Warrens that they never expected.

For me the film started off slow and it had all the predictable jump scares. I was under the impression “The Conjuring: Last Rites” was supposed to be the scariest film of the year but I don’t think it lived up to that expectation. The first two films of the Conjuring series had the scary element that this film was lacking. It’s almost like the older movies felt more realistic. Although the Conjuring franchise is based around Ed and Lorraine Warren’s chemistry, I still think that the Smurl family could have been a more active part in the film. Again the older movies had more character development which “The Conjuring: Last Rites” was lacking. It seemed like the movie was slow and took awhile to make progress in the plot at the same time everything that happened was rushed, hence the lack of character development and lack of real jump scares moments.

A good element of the film was being able to see Judy finally confronting what she was taught to suppress, along with Lorraine facing her deep fears. Even if it wasn’t the scariest film I’ve seen in the series, I still believe that it was a well-produced film. Overall, I would recommend “The Conjuring: Last Rites”, especially if you have been following the stories throughout the years. We got to see the Warren family overcome something personal. You can hide from evil but it will always find its way back when you least expect it. Evil might never really die but you can face it which is more power than evil will ever have.