“The Conjuring: Last Rites" Brings the Franchise to a overlong but Fitting Close.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprise their roles as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren for a fourth and final time in Warner Bros.’ "The Conjuring: Last Rites.” Director Michael Chaves, who helmed the previous film, returns for this installment. Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick wrote the screenplay. This final chapter focuses on the couple’s investigation of the Smurl haunting.

The fourth film in the franchise introduces us to a young version of The Warrens during one of their earliest cases, which involved a possessed mirror. The intensity of the case leads Lorraine to experience an early pregnancy, and the couple vows never to revisit that case.

The story then jumps to 1986, where The Warrens are somewhat semi-retired and spend their time giving lectures. Their daughter, Judy (played by Mia Tomlinson), is now college-aged and dating Tony (played by Ben Hardy). She possesses some of her mother’s clairvoyant abilities.

Meanwhile, the Smurl family has just celebrated the communion of one of their daughters. Her grandparents gave her the same mirror from The Warrens’ past. After a personal tragedy strikes close to home for The Warrens, they decide to come out of retirement for one final battle against evil.

It’s hard to believe that we are twelve years deep into “The Conjuring” franchise. While I generally enjoyed the first two films in the series, I was vastly let down by the third entry and wasn’t a fan of the spin-off films “Anabelle” and “The Nun”. Thankfully, the fourth film closes the series out on the right track.

Like the previous films, “Last Rites” unfolds at a slow pace. The Warrens are now older, and Ed has experienced several heart attacks, which have caused him to slow down, affecting Lorraine as well. At this point, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have such a firm grasp on their roles that they could portray them effortlessly, yet they still maintain a believable chemistry.

Wilson has some great moments where he fully embraces his “dad mode,” while Farmiga steps away from traditional motherly instincts. Additionally, Mia Tomlinson delivers a strong performance as their daughter.

The film’s most chilling moments predominantly revolve around the Smurl family. I was unfamiliar with the actors cast in the roles of The Smurls, which heightened the tension and authenticity of the story, making the harrowing events they endured feel all the more real.

The film runs a whopping 135 minutes, which may be a concern for some viewers; however, it was necessary for the story that the creative team aimed for. Despite the long runtime, I enjoyed seeing the film with a crowd and found it a fitting conclusion to the original franchise.

Final Grade: B

“The Conjuring: Last Rites” opens in theaters tomorrow.