Full disclosure: I am in no way, shape, or form an expert on the The Conjuring franchise. I have seen the very first Conjuring movie, and the one before this one. So, knowing that going into it, I went into my screening last night for The Conjuring: Last Rites with an open mind.
Director: Michael Chaves; Writers: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, James Wan; Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson
Synopsis: The Conjuring: Last Rites takes us back to 1986, and finds the paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren back on the case. This time, they’re in the coal mine country of Pennsylvania.
On to my review!
Two things I liked:
Storytelling. I loved that this movie had layers to it. It’s not just one paranormal story: it’s a story of this family being tormented by a paranormal entity, with Ed and Lorraine’s story being on top of that. I loved that this movie had a bit more substance to it than just jumping out at you every couple of minutes. I know some people have reviewed this movie as being a “slow burn” but I actually enjoyed that. The movie isn’t just filled with scares and jumps, it’s actually a complete story.
Sound. The editing, sound design and music in this movie were very well done. The sound aspect of this movie was great.
The one thing I did not care for was the cinematography. The thing is, I get it. It’s dark for effect. But it was so dark at times I had trouble even seeing what was going on. I know they were going for a “shut the lights off and create a mood” type effect, but the film was really at its best when it wasn’t so dark. The characters didn’t seem to turn on a light even once during scenes where it would have made perfect sense to for them to do so, all to keep the mood of the film. I found it a little distracting.
They are selling this as a “true story,” which always makes me a little wary. For one, if the movie is a “true story” that means it’s based on some person’s telling/recollection of something that happened to them. For this movie, you really have to be a believer in paranormal activity and demons and other such things, to believe that it’s a “true story”.
In the end, I enjoyed this film. This is one of the better movies in the franchise, alongside the other two I have seen. The acting by Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, and Mia Tomlinson (who plays Judy Warren) was all very good. I will admit, I had to cover my eyes during the jump-scare moments a couple of times, but I didn’t feel like the movie did that too much. It had a good balance of everything. I wouldn’t call this a horror masterpiece, but I was certainly entertained by it.
I give The Conjuring: Last Rites 2.5 stars out of 5.
