Just in time for Halloween, the new “Conjuring” movie has been released. Ed and Lorraine Warren had been demonologists’ in the 1970s and ‘80s. The entire “Conjuring” franchise is based on their files, including “Annabelle”. Following the case files conducted by Ed and Lorraine Warren, this movie shows the harrowing story of the Smurl family.
Set in the year of 1974, the Smurls had finally found their dream home. When they first moved in, everything was going well. Within the first few months, nothing too tragic had happened. A few occurrences such as an item disappearing and then re-appearing the next day. Then, their 75-pound German Shepherd was seen to begin levitating and thrown against a wall. Janet, Mark’s wife, then witnessed a chandelier falling onto their daughter, Shannon. As Janet said in an interview with Lorraine Warren, “It was very frightening because it was unexpected and it wasn’t like a light that had broken naturally.” Janet continued, “It didn’t tip, it didn’t sway — it just came crashing down. It gouged Shannon in the forehead and left a mark on the refrigerator.”
The Last Rites has multiple flaws, some more important than others. One of the worst mistake is the fact that it doesn’t follow the original file by Ed and Lorraine Warren. Many features unrelated to the true tale were added to the film, such as the demonic mirror. The pacing is also extremely choppy, the first scene featuring Lorraine touching the mirror and cracking it then going into a scene where the Smurl family is having dinner. After touching the mirror, Lorraine suddenly goes into labor, the entire birthing scene taking at least 5-10 minutes. It then displays a bald demon crawling on the ceiling while watching Lorraine, which is never addressed nor explained. Another big thing is the song that Judy, the daughter of Ed and Lorraine, sings whenever she sees something such as Annabelle or another demon. The song is “Lucy Locket,” a seemingly arbitrary choice that is irrelevant to any plot progression.
With the “Conjuring” series coming to an end, there will probably be no sequels like “The Nun”. “The Nun” was a sequel to “The Conjuring 2” to explain the extra demon that was introduced, Valak. Although, there are rumors on the internet about there being a sequel to explain how the demonic mirror connects to the story. So be on the lookout for the next movie, if it ever comes!