The Conjuring 4

Genre: Supernatural Horror | Thriller | Mystery
Director: Michael Chaves
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Storm Reid, Julian Hilliard, and Taissa Farmiga

The Conjuring Universe returns with its most intense and emotionally resonant chapter yet in The Conjuring 4: Last Rites. Directed by Michael Chaves, the film brings back beloved demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren for what feels like a chilling swan song, pitting them against their darkest entity to date.

With themes of faith, loss, and the haunting weight of spiritual warfare, Last Rites delivers a terrifying story that dives deeper into the emotional core of the series—while maintaining the signature jump scares, atmospheric dread, and real-life-inspired horror that have defined the franchise.

Set in the late 1980s, the film follows Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) as they’re called to investigate a mysterious string of possessions and suicides linked to a remote Catholic orphanage in rural France. The case involves a cursed relic—an ancient chalice believed to be tied to a long-banished demonic priest who once led dark rites disguised as mass.

As they unravel the mystery, the Warrens face a crisis of faith, the looming deterioration of Ed’s health, and a demonic force that targets them not through fear—but through guilt, memory, and spiritual manipulation. Their only hope lies in confronting the entity through a forgotten rite no priest dares to perform: the Last Rites of the Damned.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga once again prove why they are the heart of this franchise. Their chemistry is magnetic, and their emotional performances anchor the film’s most terrifying sequences with real humanity. Wilson portrays Ed as increasingly vulnerable yet unwavering in his faith, while Farmiga's Lorraine delivers some of her most haunting scenes yet—especially during a late exorcism that tests the limits of her clairvoyance.

Storm Reid joins the cast as a young seminary student who becomes entangled in the case, and Taissa Farmiga makes a powerful cameo reprising her role as Sister Irene (from The Nun), connecting more threads within the universe.

Michael Chaves directs with more restraint and maturity than in his previous work (The Curse of La Llorona, The Nun II), building tension slowly with atmospheric visuals and sound design that creeps under the skin. The cinematography captures the eerie, Gothic setting of the French orphanage beautifully—dim candlelight, cavernous chapels, and rain-soaked stone corridors set the stage for horror with a sacred edge.

The scares aren’t constant, but when they come, they’re effective—favoring spiritual dread and psychological horror over cheap jumps.

Unlike earlier films that focused heavily on demonic theatrics, Last Rites delves into faith under fire, grief, and the human cost of spiritual warfare. It explores how evil doesn’t always shout—it whispers through doubt and despair.

There’s also a subtle commentary on religious trauma and institutional failure, making this a more layered entry than expected. The final act, in particular, delivers both supernatural spectacle and emotional catharsis—something that feels earned, not forced.

• Powerful, emotional lead performances

• Creepy atmosphere and Gothic setting

• Thoughtful script with mature themes

• Connections across the Conjuring Universe without fan service overload

• A strong, haunting finale

• Some viewers may find the pacing slower than previous entries

• The central antagonist’s mythology is complex and not always clearly explained

• A few secondary characters lack development

• Limited traditional jump scares may not satisfy thrill-seeking audiences

The Conjuring 4: Last Rites is a somber, emotionally grounded, and terrifying return for the franchise. It honors the legacy of Ed and Lorraine Warren while evolving the tone of the series into something deeper and more spiritually introspective. It may not be the loudest entry—but it just might be the most haunting.