A terrifying horror franchise that devotees claim established the “blueprint for possession movies” is set to unleash its fourth chapter and there are merely days left to wait.
Drawing from the investigations of real-life paranormal researchers Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Conjuring films each focus on a separate infamous haunting. There have also been numerous spin-off productions as well, including Annabelle, which delved into the backstory of one of the most celebrated items in the Warrens’ archive – an allegedly cursed Raggedy Ann doll.
The newest addition to the franchise, The Conjuring: Last Rites, examines the notorious Smurl Family Haunting that terrorised Pennsylvania during the seventies and eighties.
Husband and wife Janet and Jack Smurl claimed that a malevolent entity had invaded their residence and attacked their family members over the course of 12 years. Their ordeal was subsequently adapted into a book and a television programme, both bearing the title The Haunted.
Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson will return as the Warrens for the last time in Last Rites, with the ensemble also featuring Mia Tomlinson as the supernatural investigators’ daughter Judy Warren, plus EastEnders’ Ben Hardy as Tony Spera. It arrives in cinemas on September 5, reports the Mirror.
Audiences at preview screenings of the picture have already been lauding the latest addition to The Conjuring universe, with critic, Courtney Howard, declaring: “They saved the scariest and most emotional chapter for last with The Conjuring: Last Rites.
“A spooky, creepy, unwaveringly unnerving fright fest of freak-outs and a loving tribute to familial perseverance. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga remain the [heart] and soul.”
Screen Rant critic Tatiana Hullender added: “Both from a horror and family drama perspective, TheConjuring: Last Rites is a gripping experience […] I’ve never rooted for the Warrens more than during this movie, nor have I ever been so concerned for their safety. This film represents the best of the franchise!”
Meanwhile a third critic, Caralynn Matassa, was more cynical in her review claiming it was “not the best of the four and not the worst.”
Her assessment prompted one film fan to reply: “As long as it’s better than the awful ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’, I’ll be happy.”
Last Rites is scheduled to be the concluding instalment in The Conjuring series, with filmmaker James Wan explaining: “We don’t want to be doing this 20 movies down the line, where we’ve driven the franchise into the ground.
“We love the idea that we’re going out with a big bang whilst everyone’s still loving the world, loving the movies, and loving the characters. It just feels right.”
The Conjuring: Last Rites is out in cinemas on September 5