In the last 12 years, few horror franchises have been able to develop the momentum of the Conjuring Universe. Director James Wan‘s seminal film in the canon was an instant hit in 2013, and it has since spawned the most complex cinematic continuity outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (including two separate spin-off series with multiple installments). In September, however, the long big screen journey of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s Ed and Lorraine Warren will be coming to an end, and everyone will be asking the same question: does it stick the landing?
Tonight, the first answers to that question have arrived online, as the first reactions to the upcoming horror movie The Conjuring: Last Rites are being posted on social media. The film, directed my Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, The Nun II), finds its lead characters nearing the end of their shared career as demonologists, but before they can retire from the battle against evil, the first find themselves traveling to West Pittston, Pennsylvania to investigate a dangerous haunting in a home owned by the Smurl family.
Critic/journalist Perri Nemiroff has posted on her personal Twitter account that The Conjuring: Last Rites doesn’t quite hit the high highs of The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2, but she loves the way that the movie concludes the story of Ed and Lorraine Warren, and she goes as far as to say that Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in the roles represents “some of the very best casting of all time.” She writes:
Yes, I like some Conjuring movies more than others, but the one thing that has never wavered is how abundantly clear it is that Wilson & Farmiga are giving every ounce of themselves to these roles. Their warmth and determination as Ed & Lorraine has been wildly magnetic since day one, and now I can confirm that remains true to the finish.
Likewise, Coming Soon’s Jonathan Sims doesn’t think that The Conjuring: Last Rites will be remembered by fans as a high point for the series, and he doesn’t appreciate the return to the haunted house plotline. That being said, he agrees that it’s “nice” to once again Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga paired and celebrating their on-screen chemistry:
#TheConjuringLastRites is a mediocre entry to a long-running horror franchise. While it’s nice to see Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s final outing as the Warrens, it feels like a lesser version of a tired Conjuring template. Not as scary and surprisingly dull at times.
Easily the most positive reaction of those shared online so far is from self-described producer, movie influencer and film critic Andre St. Albin, who writes that the new film is a “must-see epic conclusion.” In addition to including more praise for the leads, there is also a special shoutout to actress Mia Tomlinson, who plays Ed and Lorraine’s daughter Judy Warren:
Their daughter Judy, played by Mia Tomlinson, adds heart & depth. Surprise Conjuring Universe cameos & a moving send-off scene locks the door on their final case. Stick to the post-credits for archive demon-battling footage from the Warren’s!
More reactions will be arriving online in the coming days, with the review embargo set for the middle of next week, but audiences everywhere will be able to judge the movie for themselves when The Conjuring: Last Rites arrives in theaters across the country on September 5.
