‘Mother of Flies’ and how the Adams Family Battles Life’s Demons

Ed and Lorraine Warren’s reputation seems to be faring better on the silver screen than in real life.  As divided as people are about their life’s work, they seem happy to be entertained by it at the movies, like The Conjuring: Last Rites.

The latest case is that of the Smurls, a Pennsylvania family haunted by spirits in their new home. 

As these things go, the Smurls tried getting help from their Catholic Church first before turning to the Warrens, famous demonologists, who have helped many families going through the same thing. 

The Conjuring: Last Rites will be the final film starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as Lorraine and Ed, respectively. Of course, this supernatural universe might not be done yet. With Annabelle and The Nun still in play, we could get more stories out of this timeline. 

The Conjuring: Last Rites opens in theaters on September 5. 

Critics got their first look at the film and have weighed in on their opinions via Rotten Tomatoes. So far, it’s been divisive, some saying it’s back to basics, while others seem to think that’s all it is: basic.

We have grabbed some review blurbs from Rotten Tomatoes and presented them below. Take a look and decide for yourself.

The Good:

Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting

Last Rites is suitably nightmarish where it counts, bringing memorable chills that linger and spilling more blood than usual in a Conjuring film. But it’s more affecting for the way it wears its heart on its sleeves.

William Bibbiani, TheWrap

As a scary movie, ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ is a generic film, neither good nor bad. It’s practically begging audiences to judge it on a ‘pass/fail’ basis. As the conclusion of the ‘Conjuring’ series, it’s a little more successful, but not much.

Jeff Ewing, Collider

What Last Rites gets most correct is its family dynamics, hearkening back to the first film’s initial moments and providing a strong thread throughout the series.

Mark Kennedy, Associated Press

Last Rights is a decent enough final cinematic prayer for this franchise, combining the personal story of the Warrens and their daughter, Judy, with a new paranormal possession that’s created a freaked-out family.

Karina Adelgaard, Heaven of Horror

…it offers a story that feels back on track. And it’s always good to end on a high note. In other words, even if you weren’t too crazy about the previous movie in the franchise, you’ll want to watch this fourth and final chapter.

The Bad:

Kim Newman, SciFiNow

Series creator James Wan is a master of the contrived spook scare, but Chaves — who came to the franchise via The Curse of the Llorona and has also done a Nun sequel — isn’t quite his match.

Alonso Duralde, The Film Verdict

Cue the creepy attics and doom-filled cellars and horrific visions of ax-wielding maniacs, but these haunted-house trappings no longer carry the fright or the fun that the Conjuring movies once reliably provided.

Amy West, GamesRadar+

Not disastrous but disappointing all the same, The Conjuring 4 is a serviceable sequel that commits the ultimate sin of not being bold or memorable enough for a final chapter — and that’s a shame.

Jacob Oller, AV Club:

This victory lap is a slog, a longer and duller hagiography than those of actual saints.

Allison Rose, FlickDirect

The Conjuring: Last Rites is dull, overlong, and scareless, saved only by its cast, but failing as a worthy finale to the franchise.

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