DVD Corner

The Conjuring: Last Rites 4K UHD Review

The Conjuring franchise goes out with a whimper.  

Based on the real life Smurl haunting case, “The Conjuring: Last Rites” begins with the peculiar birth of Ed and Lorraine’s daughter Judy before jumping to Pennsylvania in 1986 where the Smurl family is encountering some very disturbing things centering around a mirror (including 3 entities and a demon). At this point in time, Ed and Lorraine have retired from investigations due to Ed’s waning health. As for Judy, she is about to be engaged but is now having increasingly more intense psychic visions. When she gets a vision of the Smurls, she goes to investigate herself before bringing Ed and Lorraine back for another investigation. The Warrens are shocked to discover the case relates to their own investigative past and that the demon has its sights set on possessing Judy. 

Having helmed the underrated third film “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” director Michael Chaves returns to take on the fourth and “final” installment “The Conjuring: Last Rites.” Despite James Wan co-writing the story and acting as a producer once again, this fourth entry is far and away the weakest. While it’s admirable that the script by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick is more focused on the Warren family, this tale about family, relationships, and the past doesn’t exactly yield rewards in terms of horror thrills. Of all the objects the Warrens encountered or kept safe, a haunted mirror is pretty low on the list of things you want to see in a movie. It doesn’t help that there is far too much CGI here. When will filmmakers learn that CGI is scarcely effective in horror? People remember physical sights and monsters, not over-the-top computer generated slop.

Performance wise, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson once again deliver exceptional performances as Ed and Lorraine Warren. However one may feel about the controversial real life figures, Farmiga and Wilson have done wonders with these characters in the Conjuring franchise. Mia Tomlinson also shines as Judy Warren (who is a focal point of this fourth feature).

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 and 1.78:1 2160p. How does it look? In a word? Pristine.

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? The Atmos track handles all the jump scares in a satisfying fashion. 

Extras:
* Digital copy
* “Last Rites: An Era Ends”- A featurette on the characters and this finale complete with interviews, film clips, and set footage.
* “The Conjuring: Crafting Scenes” is all about making scary scenes.
* “Michael Chaves: Believer”- A featurette on the filmmaker.
 

November 19, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Ed and Lorraine Warren, Patrick Wilson, The Conjuring 4, The Conjuring Universe, The Conjuring: Last Rites 4K UHD Review, Vera Farmiga