The Conjuring: Last Rites
The Conjuring: Last Rites is not the best film in the franchise. That distinction still belongs to James Wan's 2013 original.…
Full analysis below
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The Conjuring franchise has always been one of the most reliably traditional properties in mainstream Hollywood. Last Rites keeps that streak alive. This is a film that takes Christianity seriously, presents prayer as a literal weapon against evil, centers a loving marriage, and builds its climax around faith over fear. Conservative viewers can walk in with confidence.
Our Verdict on The Conjuring: Last Rites
The Conjuring: Last Rites is not the best film in the franchise. That distinction still belongs to James Wan's 2013 original. But Last Rites might be the most emotionally satisfying entry since that first film, because it does something very few Hollywood franchises attempt anymore: it tells a story about faith that takes faith seriously. Not as a metaphor. Not as a coping mechanism. Faith as real, powerful, and necessary for survival.
The film picks up the Warren story in two timelines. The 1964 prologue shows Lorraine collapsing during an investigation, going into labor, delivering a stillborn baby, and praying the baby back to life. The rules are established immediately: evil is real, God is real, and the boundary between them is where this family lives.
Twenty-two years later, the Smurl family is terrorized by three entities connected to an antique mirror. The Warrens have retired due to Ed's worsening heart condition. Their daughter Judy, who inherited Lorraine's psychic abilities, discovers the case and pulls her reluctant parents back into the fight.
Vera Farmiga is the soul of these films. Her Lorraine radiates warmth, conviction, and quiet steel. Patrick Wilson adds vulnerability: Ed is aging, his body failing. When he suffers a cardiac episode during the climactic exorcism, Wilson plays it with the helplessness of a man discovering he is not the strong one anymore. Mia Tomlinson brings fresh energy as adult Judy Warren.
The climax earns the film its place in the franchise. The demon possesses Judy and attempts to hang her. Ed collapses. Lorraine is attacked. Everything seems lost. Then Lorraine tells Judy to embrace her abilities instead of suppressing them. Together, the Warren women recite the Prayer to Saint Michael and destroy the demonic mirror. The demon is defeated by faith. By prayer. By a mother and daughter fighting together.
When was the last time a major studio release presented the Prayer to Saint Michael as a literal weapon against evil? When was the last time a $55 million genre film climaxed with characters praying and having their prayers answered?
Chaves is a serviceable director, not a visionary one. The scare sequences are competent but predictable. The Smurls never become as vivid as the Perrons. At 135 minutes, the film is 15 minutes too long. The 58% on Rotten Tomatoes reflects these issues honestly.
But for conservative audiences, the unevenness matters less than the conviction. This is a mainstream Hollywood film that presents Christianity as true, prayer as powerful, and family as the ultimate defense against evil. $499 million worldwide against $55 million is the highest-grossing entry in the franchise. Audiences showed up. They want this. Hollywood should be paying attention.
Woke Tropes & Content Analysis
Formula: Weighted Score = Severity × Authenticity Multiplier × Centrality Multiplier
🔴 Woke Tropes
| Trope | Severity | Authenticity | Centrality | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female Empowerment Framing | 3 | Borderline woke, framed as spiritual calling not feminist liberation | Medium | |
| Recast for Representation | 3 | Practical casting decision, performance justifies it completely | Medium | |
| TOTAL WOKE | 0.0 | |||
🟢 Traditional Tropes
| Trope | Severity | Authenticity | Centrality | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prayer as Power | 3 | Consistent with franchise and Catholic demonology | Medium | |
| Family as Fortress | 3 | Faithful to the real Warrens' public presentation | Medium | |
| Marriage as Sacred Bond | 3 | Faithful to the real Warrens, married 61 years | Medium | |
| Good vs. Evil (No Moral Ambiguity) | 3 | Consistent with franchise and Catholic worldview | Medium | |
| Self-Sacrifice / Putting Others First | 3 | Faithful to established character dynamics | Medium | |
| Generational Legacy | 3 | Real Judy Warren took over Warrens' work | Medium | |
| Community of Faith | 3 | Consistent with real Warrens' Catholic practice | Medium | |
| Franchise Legacy Celebration | 3 | Creative choice, real Tony Spera and Judy Warren cameo | Medium | |
| Retirement and Rest | 3 | Faithful to Warrens' later years | Medium | |
| TOTAL TRADITIONAL | 0.0 | |||
Score Margin: +8 TRAD
Director: Michael Chaves
NEUTRAL - apolitical genre craftsmanTook over the Conjuring franchise from James Wan. Has directed every Conjuring Universe film since 2019. Shows no political pattern in his filmography. Consistently honors the franchise's Christian framework without diluting it.
Writer: Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
Johnson-McGoldrick has been the franchise's primary writer since The Conjuring 2. Story co-written with James Wan. Workmanlike horror writers who understand the franchise voice. Catholic moral framework maintained throughout.
Fidelity Casting Analysis FAITHFUL
Based on the real Smurl haunting case. Judy Warren recast with Mia Tomlinson due to age requirements. No significant fidelity concerns.
Ed and Lorraine Warren are portrayed faithfully by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who have aged into the roles gracefully. Judy Warren was recast from Sterling Jerins to Mia Tomlinson because Jerins looked too young for the adult version. Tomlinson is biracial, a departure from the real Judy Warren, but the film makes nothing of it and the performance is strong. Tony Spera is a real person who married Judy Warren. The real Tony Spera and Judy Warren both cameo in the film. The Smurl family is based on a documented haunting case from the 1980s.
Content Breakdown
Adult Viewer Insight
Conservative adult viewers will find Last Rites to be one of the most comfortable viewing experiences of 2025. The film asks nothing of you ideologically. It tells a story about a Christian family fighting evil with faith, love, and prayer, told with sincerity. Watch it for Vera Farmiga's performance, for the Warren family dynamics, and for the simple pleasure of a mainstream film that takes your worldview seriously.
Parental Guidance
Rated R for horror content. Moderate violence: jump scares, demonic attacks, a character attempts suicide under demonic influence (interrupted). No sexual content beyond one kiss. Minimal language. No substance use. This is a horror film with frightening entities and an intense possession sequence. Age 13+ for horror fans. Children under 10 should skip it due to scare factor, not ideology. Discussion Guidance: Great material for discussing faith, spiritual warfare, courage, and the reality of good and evil.
Is The Conjuring: Last Rites Safe for Kids?
Expected R for terror, violence, and disturbing images. Supernatural horror in the Warren case files tradition. Atmosphere over gore. Language moderate. No sexual content. Recommended for ages 15+. Catholic faith presented sincerely. Pre-release assessment.
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