When The Conjuring made its debut back in 2013, a then new and now iconic horror franchise was born with director James Wan at the helm. In the years since, the film has spawned not only sequels, but numerous spinoffs, creating an extended universe for fans of the series to feast on nearly year after year. Now twelve years later, audiences will be experiencing the horrific final case of Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring: Last Rites, a finale that is brimming with plenty of heart, but lacking the searing thrills and chills that have been long absent in this franchise.

The sequel catches the audiences up with the Warrens in the 1980s, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) now settling into a comfortable, far less precarious life of their own, keeping to themselves and giving the occasional lectures despite interest in their exploits fading rapidly. In fact, they’ve even been able to enjoy raising their now grown daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson) who is now in a serious relationship and has been able to successfully reject her supernatural gifts inherited from her mother. However, all of this changes when a brand new case finds its way to Ed and Lorraine’s doorstep, the duo forced to help a traumatized family battling demons within their home that may have links to the Warrens’ tumultuous past.

Ever since Wan left the franchise after the second installment, the Conjuring franchise has had a severe case of diminishing returns. Fortunately, the one staple of the series that has remained its most valuable asset is the pairing of Wilson and Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine. The two have provided the beating heart of this horror franchise, making the relationship between Ed and Lorraine warm, loving, and fiercely authentic. The two talented actors have never hit a false note and this sequel is no different. Their chemistry is effortless and the way in which they’re both able to add new, fascinating layers to this married couple at this stage in their lives is tremendous. Their love and care for one another is always felt, especially when circumstances become increasingly more dire, but more importantly their performances are what keep this lackluster sequel afloat, especially as it begins to drag substantially. Tomlinson is also strong in her own right here, effectively portraying the inner fears and turmoil of Judy as she is trying to enjoy a happy and healthy relationship despite her supernatural abilities clawing at her with relentless consistency. The three central performances help make the Warrens a deeply compelling and engrossing family to watch battle their demons inside and out.

The film also sports a highly immersive and creepy atmosphere that drips with dread and malaise. The lighting, production design and overall visual aesthetic not only help bring a needed feeling of authenticity and suspense, but provide a wonderfully filmic and old fashioned sheen. It may not be the best offering the series has had to offer so far, but it may just be the most visually appealing. Chaves’ direction helps aid this visual immersion by crafting suitably tense, nail-biting sequences in which the audience will involuntarily be sliding their faces behind the comfort of their fingers. Unfortunately, solid build-ups and tension are the only facets of this horror film that he’s able to pull off successfully.

The main issue with this horror sequel is that it’s simply not terrifying in any way, shape or form. The scares are heavily telegraphed, poorly thought out and executed worse, resulting in zero scares that work the way Chaves clearly intended them too. Much of the ground this sequel treads feels far too familiar, trying to play the greatest hits of the franchise for hungry horror fans, but failing to reach the dizzying heights of previous entries. It’s clear Chaves is trying to emulate Wan as a filmmaker, utilizing many of the same techniques and camera tricks. However, instead of his direction coming off as a loving homage to the franchise’s previous captain, it comes across as copy and paste. Chaves clearly knows how to build to a scare, but he has plenty left to learn when it comes to the payoff. There are countless missed opportunities when he could’ve played with the audience’s expectations, but instead decided to play it safe with scares that need far more heavy lifting from the score and sound design than they should. Simply put, Chaves is yet to make an actually scary horror film.

Making matters worse in the pacing, which is frustratingly sluggish for what should be a fast-paced and thrilling horror film. The sequel takes nearly an hour and half to set up the central case and the Warrens’ involvement, wasting a considerable amount of screen time trying to flesh out the family. While this is an admirable and understandable exploration, the setup takes far too long to take shape, especially since fans have seen this kind of story told again and again and again at this point. The film runs over two hours and that bloated running time is certainly felt in the second act when it feels as if the chills and thrills will never emerge. Even in the third act, when the case reaches its fever pitch, the climax feels rushed and truncated, as if its trying to wrap up the story as quickly as possible and make up for lost time. While the final act has a few inspired moments, it’s incredibly mediocre and flavorless. When all is said and done and the Warrens are catching their breath, audiences will be scratching their heads wondering why they had to wait so long for what they purchased their tickets to see.

Grade: 2/5 Stars

The Conjuring: Last Rites is a well-made and attractive sequel with winning performances from its talented cast, but as a conclusion for this once great franchise it seriously comes up short. In different hands, this could’ve been a wildly terrifying and harrowing final chapter that ended the saga of the Warrens with palpable panache and visceral thrills. Instead, hungry fans of the series are given a limp and rusty sendoff that will leave plenty to be desired. It may still carry the warm beating heart of the franchise, but the thrills and chills that made it such a staple in the genre are nowhere to be found.