September 26, 2025/Midnight
Erie, PA. – The Conjuring Universe is reaching its grand finale with The Conjuring: Last Rites. Released on Sept.5, the movie shatters the record for the highest opening weekend box office for a horror film with an impressive $194 million worldwide.
First released in 2013 with The Conjuring, the horror universe was produced by Warner Bros. and inspired by the real-life paranormal case files of the demonologist couple Ed and Lorraine Warren. The series draws audiences into terrifying encounters with dark forces.
Along the way, The Conjuring Universe gives horror fans an impression of iconic figures like the haunted doll Annabelle or the demonic nun, Valak. Now, after a decades of haunting viewers, The Conjuring comes to a close, expecting to be a powerful finale and haunting farewell.
The Conjuring: Last Rites follows the Warrens in their final case, which centered on a haunted antique mirror. The story takes audiences back to 1964, when Lorraine was pregnant with her daughter Judy and discovered the mirror in an antique shop. The moment she touched it; she sensed a dark supernatural presence – an encounter that caused her to go into premature labor.
Twenty-two years later, the cursed mirror reappeared, unleashing terror on the Smurl family in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. What began as a father’s gift to his daughter, soon turns into a terrifying threat to the entire household.
The film not only explores the Warrens’ familiar exorcism journey but also expands into the more emotional side of family relationship. Judy, their daughter who inherits her mother’s psychic ability, is both a witness to and a victim of supernatural events, allowing the audience to better see the bonds, love, and anxieties within the Warren family as they confront dark forces.
The closing chapter of The Conjuring was expected to be a grand finale, but in the end it sparked debate: Was it a hit or a miss?
The acting is a major highlight of the film. Familiar faces, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, once again deliver outstanding performances, capturing the chemistry and genuine emotions of Warrens. Mia Tomlinson as Judy also impresses, portraying a wide range of emotions – both endearing and vulnerably fragile. However, critics argue that the film relies too heavily on jumps care sequences, a formula that has become all too familiar within the Conjuring Universe. Some of the jump scares in the film work effectively, but after watching the entire series, audiences are familiar with the rhythm and can predict what is coming next. This makes the finale feel less fresh.
In addition, the film’s heavy focus on emotional scenes slows down the pace, creating a sense of drag. As a horror movie, the closing chapter was expected to be filled with haunting moments that would leave a lasting impression. Instead, it shifts it’s attention more towards emotional depth than genuine terror.
Overall, The Conjuring: Last Rites delivers a fairly satisfying ending for longtime fans of this famous horror universe. The film achieved impressive box office numbers, proving the franchise’s enduring appeal. However, this is not the last chapter. According to early reports, The Conjuring will continue in the form of a TV series on HBO Max. It remains to be seen how this next chapter will expand the story.
