The Conjuring Universe is based on the paranormal cases of Ed and Lorraine Warren, a couple who many believe helped people by dealing with supernatural beings, haunted objects and exorcisms. 

Returning to the roles of Ed and Lorraine Warren are Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who have been terrifying audiences with their cases of the paranormal since 2013, when the first film of the franchise was released. 

The films in “The Conjuring” franchise consist of “The Conjuring,” “The Conjuring 2,” “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” and the latest installment, “The Conjuring: The Last Rites.” 

“The Conjuring” follows the haunting of the Perron family’s farmhouse, where audiences are first introduced to paranormal experiences such as levitation, demonic eyes, door slamming and getting thrown against the wall by a force that can’t even be seen. It was the movie that began it all and has still made a lasting impression. 

“The Conjuring 2” takes the Warrens to England to help the Hodgson Family. The family experiences hallucinations and demonic possession. The film also shows how damaging and dangerous the cases are becoming to the Warrens, as Lorraine envisions her husband’s death while investigating the case. 

The first two “Conjuring” films have many aspects of true horror, with scenes that make you feel stuck or like you’re being watched over, leaving you taking a closer look at shadows and the dark corners of a room after watching. The shock from jump scares, the loud banging that echoes in your head and the fear of the unknown and being powerless all culminate for a nerve-wracking viewing experience. However, the third “Conjuring” installment felt out of touch with its roots. 

“The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” felt closer to a crime movie and less like a horror one. Although it did involve possession and horrific visuals, its focus seemed to be in all the wrong places. Although the movie left fans unsatisfied, “The Conjuring: The Last Rites” was a perfect ending to the Warren family’s journey. 

“The Conjuring: The Last Rites” perfectly captures the horror aspect felt in the first Conjuring and beautifully captures the growth and love within the Warren Family. The demon in this film is by far the most violent and active one across all the films so far. It also ties back to the very first case the Warrens took on, bringing the franchise full circle. 

The beginning of the movie shows more of the relationship dynamics in the Warren family, but also introduces the Smurl family and the evil they brought home with them after purchasing an antique mirror. The Warrens’ final case is beyond personal, as this demon caused so much pain and harm to them in their last encounter. Ed and Lorraine continue to struggle with how the job bleeds into their own lives and have paused their paranormal investigation, given that Ed has heart issues and Lorraine is fearful of losing him. 

This movie fully showcased the emotional turmoil the Warrens experience through these cases and just how much they give to help families in need, something that wasn’t really shown in the other films. It emphasizes that the Warrens are not just paranormal investigators, but also human beings, husband and wife and parents. It depicts them as people who still get scared and feel pain, but who find the power within to be strong and fight. 

The horror of the film shines through in its terrifying visuals with lots of jump scares, throwing objects, violence and extreme bloodiness. Many scenes are incredibly gory, so much so that it felt as if the blood was going to spill out of the screen and cover the audience in red.

The shadows and the nighttime scenes leave you in suspense because you’re not seeing everything and you know something is lurking and waiting to jump out. The sound effects and the music only increased the levels of fear, suspense and anxiety viewers experienced. 

At the core of the film, the story is about good versus evil, finding the strength and support in others to fight back and showing that evil is everywhere – it’s up to us to not let fear control us. 

“The Conjuring: The Last Rites” is showing in theaters now and is best watched in IMAX with family and friends. May no one experience waking up the next day with a “Miss Me?” note from a demon on their wall and Annabelle sitting innocently on their desk chair.