The Conjuring: Last Rites is the ninth entry in the $2+ billion Conjuring franchise, and it sees director Michael Chaves (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) step behind the camera to helm this send-off for the long-running series.
The movie promises to deliver another thrilling chapter in the Conjuring "cinematic universe," based on—supposedly—real events. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson reunite for one last case as renowned, real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren in what's described as a "powerful and spine-chilling addition" to the franchise.
Farmiga and Wilson star alongside Mia Tomlinson and Ben Hardy, who portray Ed and Lorraine's daughter Judy Warren and her boyfriend, Tony Spera, as well as Steve Coulter returning as Father Gordon, Rebecca Calder, Elliot Cowan, Kíla Lord Cassidy, Beau Gadsdon, John Brotherton, and Shannon Kook.
The first social media reactions have just dropped, and they're mostly very positive. The Conjuring: Last Rites is being hailed as the "scariest" instalment yet, with Wilson and Farmiga receiving the lion's share of praise from critics. It's also being called a "perfect ending" to Ed and Lorraine's story.
Others were a little more mixed on the movie, describing it as "not as scary and surprisingly dull at times" and "a lesser version of a tired template."
Is now the right time for The Conjuring franchise to end? During a recent interview, Wan explained, "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."
The Conjuring: Last Rites arrives in theaters on September 5.