The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)

The case that ended it all.

R
2h 16m

Directed by: Michael Chaves
Story: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
Premiered: September 03, 2025
Language: English
Status: Released
Budget: $55,000,000.00
Revenue: $494,399,411.00
Country: United States of America

The Conjuring: Last Rites

7.0/10 (1371 vote)

★★★★★★★★★★

Production: New Line Cinema
Atomic Monster
The Safran Company
Domain Entertainment

Spoiler

In the chilling annals of paranormal investigation, few names resonate with as much dread and fascination as Ed and Lorraine Warren. Their decades-long crusade against malevolent forces, documented in the acclaimed "Conjuring" universe, has brought them face-to-face with unspeakable horrors. Now, in "The Conjuring: Last Rites," slated for release on September 3, 2025, and directed by Michael Chaves, the legendary duo, portrayed once again by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, confront a case that would ultimately test the very limits of their faith and courage, a case that threatened to bring their illustrious careers to a definitive end.

The film opens in 1964, offering a poignant glimpse into the nascent stages of the Warrens' extraordinary journey. A young Ed, played by Orion Smith, and Lorraine, embodied by Madison Lawlor, find themselves in a dimly lit antique shop, engaged in conversation with a distressed woman. She confides in them a harrowing tale of a malevolent entity within her shop, an entity she believes drove her father to commit suicide. Lorraine, visibly pregnant and radiating an aura of maternal concern, ventures into the shop's rear. Her gaze falls upon an antique mirror, its surface adorned with three unsettling carved faces. This mirror, she is told, is the suspected source of the encroaching darkness. Drawn by an unseen force, Lorraine reaches out and touches the glass. The moment her fingers make contact, a crack spiders across the surface, and in its fractured reflection, Lorraine witnesses her own image contort into a sinister smile. Visions, fleeting and terrifying, assault her senses, culminating in the onset of agonizing labor.

Ed, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and determination, rushes Lorraine to the hospital. The sterile environment of the delivery room becomes a battleground as doctors frantically work to bring their child into the world. Amidst the medical urgency, Lorraine's eyes dart around, catching glimpses of the Mirror Entity, a spectral presence that seems to loom, intent on reaching her. The tension escalates as the baby appears stillborn. Lorraine's anguished cries fill the room as she pleads to hold her child. In a moment of profound desperation, she and Ed unite in fervent prayer. Miraculously, the infant stirs, and a cry of life pierces the silence. Overwhelmed with relief, Lorraine names her daughter Judy.

A brief, tender montage chronicles the Warrens raising their daughter. We see a young Judy, portrayed by Mia Tomlinson, running to her mother, her small face etched with fear, recounting visions of spirits within their home. Lorraine, ever the protector, teaches her daughter the simple yet potent "Lucy Locket" rhyme, a childhood incantation meant to ward off malevolent forces, a testament to the enduring power of faith and familial love in the face of the supernatural.

Fast forward to 1986, in the seemingly ordinary town of West Pittston, Pennsylvania. Here, we are introduced to the Smurl family: Jack (Elliot Cowan) and Janet (Rebecca Calder), their devoted grandparents John and Mary (Peter Wright and Kate Fahy), and their four daughters – Heather (Kila Lord Cassidy), Dawn (Beau Gadsdon), Shannon (Molly Cartwright), and Carin (Tilly Walker). The family is celebrating Heather's confirmation and birthday. As a gift, John presents Heather with an antique mirror, an object eerily familiar to the Warrens, the very same mirror from their past encounter. The celebration takes a sinister turn when, as the family cuts the cake, a beam of light descends from the ceiling, crashing onto the table and inflicting a cut on Heather's forehead, a harbinger of the darkness to come.

The narrative then shifts to the present day for the Warrens, who, after years of relentless paranormal investigations, believed they had witnessed the full spectrum of terror. Yet, the Smurl case, as the film's opening text suggests, would prove to be the one that would irrevocably alter their careers. Ed and Lorraine are currently on a sabbatical from active fieldwork, dedicating their time to delivering lectures at a university. During a dinner with their now-adult daughter Judy, who is implied to still be experiencing hauntings, Lorraine notices a disturbing flicker in her daughter's demeanor – a subtle yet unsettling sign of her ongoing torment, manifesting as what appears to be her speaking in tongues.

Meanwhile, the Smurl household descends into a nightmare. Strange occurrences begin to plague the family. Janet, engaged in a phone conversation, finds the cord inexplicably yanked from her hand. Initially dismissing it as a prank by her daughters, she is unnerved when she discovers no one in the closet where the phone was pulled. Young Shannon witnesses her toy doll move on its own before it levitates, and she is terrorized by the spectral image of a withered hag, her chilling smile sending Shannon fleeing her room in a panic. Disturbed by the unsettling carvings on the mirror, Heather and Dawn decide to dispose of it, leaving it on the street for the garbage collectors. The following morning, as the mirror is being crushed within the garbage truck, Dawn falls gravely ill, vomiting blood and shards of glass, necessitating an urgent trip to the hospital.

Ed, grappling with his own mortality, is warned by his doctor about his precarious health and the significant risk of another heart attack. Later, at a surprise birthday party for Ed, hosted by Lorraine, their lives intersect with the unfolding crisis. Judy arrives with her boyfriend of six months, Tony Spera (Ben Hardy). Father Gordon (Steven Coulter), a man of faith, also attends, informing the Warrens that the Smurls have been desperately trying to reach them, but the Warrens remain committed to their hiatus. Judy, it becomes apparent, is also experiencing visions, haunted by Annabelle and the same spectral hag that tormented Shannon. Tony, seeking to solidify his relationship with Judy, approaches Ed and Lorraine to ask for their blessing to propose. While Lorraine is overjoyed, Ed expresses reservations, deeming it too soon. However, upon seeing the ring, Ed relents, and Judy happily accepts Tony's proposal.

Back at the Smurl residence, the daughters voice their growing concerns, but Jack remains dismissive, unconvinced of any connection between the escalating paranormal activity and the family's misfortunes. That night, Jack is inexplicably levitated above his bed. Simultaneously, Heather, reviewing footage from her birthday party, notices a demonic face superimposed next to her as the candles on her cake are blown out. Janet manages to bring Jack down, only for an axe-wielding spectral maniac to materialize, attempting to attack Heather. The Smurls, their plight escalating, decide to take their story to the press, and news of their haunting begins to spread.

During a dress-shopping excursion with Lorraine, Judy finds herself alone in a dressing room surrounded by mirrors. A wave of claustrophobia washes over her as she discovers the Creepy Hag Ghost lurking beneath her dress. Lorraine and the store attendant rush in to find Judy on the floor, experiencing a severe panic attack.

Father Gordon, moved by the Smurls' story on the news, decides to intervene personally. After speaking with Janet, he ventures into the basement, where his application of holy water causes steam to rise from the stairs. His efforts to assist the Smurls lead him to the Diocese of Scranton. However, the Entity targets him there, compelling him to grab a vacuum cleaner cord, which he wraps around his neck before tragically leaping from a balcony, taking his own life.

The Warrens are devastated by the news of Father Gordon's death. At his funeral, Judy touches his casket and experiences a vision. Inquiring about the location of his death, she learns it was in Pennsylvania. Judy then disappears, leaving Ed, Lorraine, and Tony in a state of frantic worry. They soon deduce that she has gone to the Smurl house. Upon arriving to retrieve her, the Warrens prepare to depart, but Judy implores them to stay, convincing them that the Smurls are in dire need of their help.

A bond begins to form between the Warrens and the Smurls as they collectively grapple with the escalating terror. Tony reveals to Ed that he left his career as a police officer after a violent encounter, a decision that prompted his hasty proposal to Judy. Lorraine, through her innate abilities, inspects the Smurl house and uncovers a tragic history: a woman and her mother were murdered in the house by the woman's husband, the axe murderer. Lorraine posits that a more powerful entity is at play, using the spirits of the man and his victims as a diversion.

Drawn by an unseen force, Judy ascends to the attic, where she finds the mirror fully restored. She then witnesses a terrifying vision of Annabelle, grotesquely enlarged, pursuing her through the house until she is reunited with her parents. Ed and Lorraine are stunned to recognize the mirror from the night of Judy's birth. Ed recounts the circumstances of Judy's birth and their past encounter with the mirror to the Smurls, agreeing to help them banish the evil.

Ed and Jack attempt to remove the mirror from the attic, but it proves to be a formidable foe, seemingly untying itself and slipping from their grasp. The spirits launch a full-scale assault, separating the families. Lorraine is violently thrown into the basement and locked in. Meanwhile, Judy becomes possessed, her movements guided by the spirit towards the attic, an attempt to drive her to hang herself. Ed and Tony manage to free Judy, their fall through the drywall ceiling a chaotic descent. While Judy appears unconscious, and her parents frantically try to revive her, she miraculously awakens. The Mirror Entity makes a final, desperate attempt to claim the Warrens and Tony. Ed recites from the Bible in an attempt to exorcise the demon, but the book ignites in his hands, and the mirror hurtles towards them, pinning Tony to the floor. In a moment of profound unity, Lorraine and Judy join Ed, placing their hands on the mirror. Judy confronts the Entity, uttering, "You're not there," causing it to scream and be vanquished from the mirror, shattering it and ending the haunting.

The following morning, the Warrens bid a heartfelt farewell to the Smurls. Tony assists Ed in transporting the shattered remnants of the mirror to their museum of haunted artifacts, placing it alongside the infamous Annabelle doll.

Later, Judy and Tony are married. The reception is a joyous occasion, attended by individuals the Warrens have aided throughout their careers, including Carolyn and Cindy Perron, Peggy and Janet Hodgson, and David Glatzel. As Ed and Lorraine share a dance, Lorraine confides in Ed about a vision she experienced – a future filled with grandchildren and continued dedication to their sacred calling. Ed, his heart full, declares it sounds perfect.

The film concludes with a poignant epilogue. The Smurl family continues to reside in their home for another three years, crediting the paranormal events with strengthening their familial bonds. Ed and Lorraine remain married for 50 years, until Ed's health deteriorates, and Lorraine lovingly cares for him until his passing in 2006. Lorraine never remarries, dying in 2019. Though their paranormal research was not always embraced by the scientific community, the Warrens are recognized as pioneers, their legacy cemented by the countless lives they touched and the battles they fought against the darkness.