Is The Conjuring: Last Rites a fitting farewell to Ed and Lorraine Warren, or a franchise running on fumes? That question has followed the film since it was announced as the final chapter of the main Conjuring saga, and it shapes almost every review you will read. The short answer is that reactions split along a predictable line: people who came for atmosphere, craftsmanship, and the Warrens’ chemistry tend to leave satisfied, while those hoping for a fresh jolt of horror complain that the series is repeating itself. This article breaks down what those reviews are really saying, where the disagreements come from, and how to read the reception before deciding whether it is worth your evening.
What the Film Is Working With
The Conjuring: Last Rites is the fourth entry in the mainline Conjuring series, following the 2013 original, 2016’s Annabelle-adjacent sequel cycle, and 2021’s The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Michael Chaves, who previously directed The Curse of La Llorona and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, returns to the director’s chair. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson reprise their roles as Lorraine and Ed Warren, the pair whose performances have anchored the franchise since the beginning.
That continuity matters enormously to how reviews read. A farewell film carries obligations that a mid-series entry does not. It has to close arcs, honor a decade of audience investment, and still deliver the jump-scare machinery that made the series a commercial powerhouse. Critics who judge it as a standalone horror movie and critics who judge it as a finale are essentially reviewing two different films, which explains a lot of the tonal whiplash in the coverage.
The Core Critical Consensus
Across the reviews, a handful of themes recur with striking consistency. The most common praise centers on the leads. Farmiga and Wilson have spent more than a decade building this partnership, and reviewers repeatedly note that their ease with each other carries scenes that might otherwise sag. The film leans into the idea of the Warrens as an aging couple facing one last case, and that framing gives the actors material that is more emotional than the series usually asks for.
The second recurring theme is craft. The Conjuring films have always distinguished themselves from cheaper possession movies through production design, sound work, and a preference for dread over gore. Reviews generally agree that Last Rites maintains that standard. Sets feel lived-in, the period detail holds up, and the scares are built rather than dropped in.
The third theme is where things get less flattering. A large share of critical reaction argues that the formula has calcified. The haunted-house structure, the skeptical outsider, the escalating nocturnal disturbances, the eventual exorcism: all of it is present, and reviewers who have tracked the series from the start describe a sense of diminishing returns. The phrase that shows up again and again is some variation of “competent but familiar.”
Where Critics Split
| Reviewer Camp | Main Argument | Typical Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Franchise loyalists | Emotional payoff, strong leads, satisfying closure | Warm, sometimes affectionate |
| Craft-focused critics | Polished sound and design, effective atmosphere | Mixed-positive |
| Horror specialists | Formula fatigue, few genuinely new scares | Negative |
| General entertainment press | Watchable, forgettable, fine for a night in | Lukewarm |
That table is the reception in miniature. The disagreement is not really about quality. Almost nobody argues the film is badly made. The argument is about whether technical competence is enough when the underlying structure has been reused four times in the mainline series and many more times across the spinoffs.
The “Final Chapter” Problem
Most negative reviews describe the same tension: a finale is supposed to justify itself. It should either resolve something or reinvent something. Reviewers who came away cold often make the same point in different words, that Last Rites feels like another case rather than a conclusion. The emotional beats are there, but the plot mechanics are interchangeable with earlier entries.
Defenders push back on exactly this. Their argument is that closure does not require reinvention. If you have followed the Warrens across a decade of films, watching them reach an endpoint has value in itself, and the movie delivers that endpoint with sincerity. Whether that lands depends almost entirely on how invested you are going in.
This is worth knowing before you buy a ticket. If you have seen every Conjuring film and its spinoffs, the emotional register will probably work on you. If you are a casual viewer who liked the first one and drifted away, the film may feel like a reunion you were not invited to.
Performance and Atmosphere Carry the Weight
Practical viewing tip: pay attention to sound design. The Conjuring series has always been a sound-forward franchise, and reviewers who praise the film almost always mention the audio work specifically. The creaks, the low-frequency rumble before a scare, the sudden silence that signals something is about to happen. If you watch at home, this is a film that rewards a decent soundbar and a dark room far more than a laptop with built-in speakers. Watching it on a plane screen with earbuds will flatten exactly the element the filmmakers spent the most effort on.
The other practical note concerns pacing. Reviews are fairly unified in describing a slow build. That is a feature for some viewers and a frustration for others. If you bounce off films that take their time establishing a household before anything supernatural happens, this one will test your patience in the first act.
How This Reception Compares to the Rest of the Series
The pattern here mirrors what happened with The Devil Made Me Do It. That film also drew mixed notices, with praise for Farmiga and Wilson and complaints about a thinner case and less memorable set pieces. Last Rites has been received in a similar register, which tells you something about where the franchise sits culturally. It is no longer a phenomenon that surprises people. It is an institution that meets expectations.
For context on how audiences and critics diverge on this kind of release, it helps to look at how reception works across entertainment categories generally. Fashion and beauty brands, for instance, face the same gap between professional assessment and customer loyalty, which is why breakdowns like these Princess Polly reviews tend to focus on whether expectations were met rather than on objective quality. Horror franchises operate the same way. The question is rarely “is this good” and much more often “is this what I came for.”
What Audiences Are Saying
Audience reaction, as distinct from critic reaction, tends to be warmer. Viewer commentary clusters around three responses. First, gratitude for a proper ending. Second, appreciation for the Warrens as a couple, with many comments noting that the film treats their relationship with more tenderness than earlier entries. Third, disappointment from viewers who wanted a scarier movie, particularly in the final act.
There is also a recurring complaint about the scares themselves. Audiences who have watched a lot of horror describe the set pieces as telegraphed, noting that experienced viewers will spot the misdirection before it lands. That is a fair criticism of any long-running franchise, but it lands harder in a series that built its reputation on making familiar haunted-house beats feel new.
One thing almost nobody disputes: the film looks and sounds expensive. Whatever you think of the script, the production values are not in question.
Reading Reviews Without Getting Misled
If you are trying to decide whether to watch, a few habits will serve you better than scanning aggregate scores.
First, weight reviews by whether the writer has followed the franchise. A negative review from someone who has seen all four mainline films means something different from a negative review by a generalist who caught it cold. Both are valid, but they answer different questions.
Second, look for reviews that mention specific scenes. Vague praise and vague criticism are both low-information. A reviewer who describes a particular sequence and explains why it worked or did not is telling you something usable.
Third, discount the extremes. The enthusiastic five-star reviews from devoted fans and the one-star reviews from people who wanted a different movie both tell you more about the reviewer than about the film.
Fourth, remember that horror is the most subjective major genre. Fright is not transferable. A scene that leaves one viewer checking the hallway leaves another checking their phone. For a broader look at how consumer sentiment gets parsed in entertainment and lifestyle categories, resources like this collection of Depop reviews show the same dynamic at work: individual experiences vary wildly, and the aggregate hides as much as it reveals. (Is Depop Legit? Reviews, Safety & How It Works)
Is It Worth Watching?
The honest answer is that it depends on what you want from it. As a conclusion to a long-running story about two characters, it works. The performances are committed, the ending is sincere, and the film treats its leads with respect. As a standalone horror movie, it is mid-tier. It is well made and rarely boring, but it will not scare anyone who has seen more than a handful of possession films.
The practical recommendation is straightforward. If you have seen the earlier Conjuring films, watch this one, ideally in a dark room with good sound. If you have not, start with the 2013 original and work forward. Jumping straight to the finale is like reading the last chapter of a novel first: the plot will make sense, but the payoff will not.
FAQ
Is The Conjuring: Last Rites the final film in the series?
It was positioned and marketed as the conclusion of the mainline Conjuring story, focused on Ed and Lorraine Warren. That does not mean the wider franchise is finished. The Conjuring universe includes the Annabelle films, The Nun films, and other spinoffs, which operate on separate timelines and are not bound by the main series ending.
Do I need to watch the earlier Conjuring movies first?
You will understand the plot without them, but you will miss most of the emotional weight. The film leans on a decade of built-up relationship between the two leads. Viewers who have followed the series from the start consistently report a stronger experience than newcomers, and that gap shows up clearly in audience reactions.
Why do critics and audiences disagree about this movie?
They are answering different questions. Critics tend to evaluate the film against the broader history of horror cinema and against the series’ own earlier entries, which makes formula fatigue a central issue. Audiences, especially longtime fans, tend to evaluate whether the film delivered a satisfying ending for characters they care about. Both are reasonable standards, and they produce different verdicts.
Is the movie scary?
Reactions vary widely, but the general pattern is that the film favors atmosphere and tension over shock. Viewers who found the earlier Conjuring films frightening will likely find this one comparable. Viewers who are desensitized to haunted-house and possession tropes often report that the scares feel predictable, particularly in the final act.
How does it compare to the other Conjuring films?
Most assessments place it below the 2013 original and roughly in line with The Devil Made Me Do It, with stronger emotional material but a less distinctive case. It is generally considered better crafted than the weaker spinoffs but less inventive than the franchise’s high point.
What should I know before watching at home?
Sound matters more than screen size for this one. The series relies heavily on audio design to build dread, and built-in television speakers or laptop audio will undercut it. A dark room, headphones, or a basic soundbar will change the experience substantially. Also expect a slow first act, which is deliberate but not to every viewer’s taste.
Conclusion
The reviews of The Conjuring: Last Rites tell a familiar story about a long-running franchise reaching its end. The craft is solid, the leads are excellent, and the farewell is sincere. What the film does not do is reinvent anything, and that is the honest source of most of the criticism it has drawn. Whether that trade-off works for you comes down to how much you have invested in Ed and Lorraine Warren over the past decade. For longtime viewers, it is a respectful send-off worth the evening. For everyone else, it is a well-made horror film that will not change any minds about the genre. Either way, the reception makes one thing clear: this franchise earned its ending, even if the ending did not surprise anyone.
