Plot: What’s it about?
Four movies spanning a dozen years. That’s not bad. And when you consider this is “the one that started it all” – that’s even more impressive. What started it all, you ask? Why The Conjuring universe, of course. What started with Ed and Lorraine Warren back in 2013 now (as of this writing) is approaching a dozen films ranging from Annabelle, The Nun and even one of my favorites The Curse of La Llorona. Not bad. But, we have to ask ourselves, have we seen it all? Is every trick out of the bag? How many times can we see object move on their own, hear demonic voices come out of characters and see shadowy figures that we’re supposed to be scared of? As it turns out, this last installment does indeed contain most of those, but it’s also why we watch. This is the final installment, film wise, for Ed and Lorraine and with 135 minutes of possessed goodness, they’d better go out with a bang. Did they?
Based on a story from West Pittston, Pennsylvania, the Smurl family claimed their home was haunted and this entity threw a dog against a wall and sexually assaulted the father. Yes, you read that correctly. Enter Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga). The first half of the film shows how they try to avoid investigating the case; Ed is having issues with his heart and their daughter, Judy (Mia Tomlinson) has just become engaged to her boyfriend Tony (Ben Hardy). Add to that, Judy is starting to show signs of being able to pick up on what her Mom can – paranormal communication. And, as we might expect, she wants to help the Smurl’s and we know that Mom and Dad will eventually join in.
While I found this final installment interesting, it’s really not a lot different than any of the others. That’s not to say it’s “bad” by any means, but it’s like watching a TV show in which you know what will happen each and every week. And there’s really no need to watch these films in any particular order, though there are some things that reference other films in the The Conjuring universe. I can’t really think of any right now, but I assure you that they’re there. While the real Ed and Lorraine Warren investigated over 1000 cases over the course of their careers, we find that only four of them truly made the cut to become films. Hey, fine by me. Both Wilson and Farmiga do their best to wrap up their respective characters and for those that enjoy these films – this is more of the same, but about 20 minutes too long if you ask me.
Video: How’s it look?
I’ve always liked the way these films have looked. Maybe I’ve got a thing for 70’s fashion style or…I don’t know. At any rate, these films are dark. Both physically and the nature of the plot. That’s fine. Dark films have a very looming presence around them and I’ve found that these pull it off very nicely. The Conjuring: Last Rites has hit disc and in 4K. I was duly impressed at how spot-on amazing this looked. I wasn’t able to find a single artifact, strong black levels were present, consistent flesh tones and even minute details were impressive.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Ok, either these newer films are really using new and inventive techniques to use the LFE or my subwoofer is blown. Having watched countless films from my setup I’d remarked that “I’d never heard sounds like this come out of my sub…” well this marks the second movie that has put it through the motions and I do have to say, with great effect. Vocals are crisp and clean and I’d forgotten what Lili Taylor’s voice had sounded like with her Minnesota accent and all. There are a few scenes that have a supernatural “whisper” to them and it only adds to the tension. Surrounds are used with great effect as well (this is a haunted house movie, after all). This Dolby Atmos mix is nothing short of perfection.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Last Rites: An Era Ends – This brief featurette takes a look back at this and the prior three films in the franchise.
- The Conjuring: Crafting Scares – “If we can scare them and make them cry, we’re going to have a real winner.” Words from the producer on this franchise. I was a bit scared, but tears never came to my eye. Hey, 1 out of 2 isn’t bad.
- Michael Chaves: Believer – The director tells us his affinity to “making movies” and with him helming this final installment, we get the sense that it’s real. Good for him.
The Bottom Line
Regardless of your perspective on the subject matter, it’s hard to deny that The Conjuring created a universe that now spans well nearly a dozen films. There’s something to be said for that. With this final installment of “the original”, it goes out on a high note. Warner’s disc is spot on gorgeous and sounds downright amazing.
