Listeners will be intrigued by the film's clever structure, which connects Judy's origins to a terrifying mirror from her parents' past, showcasing her inherited supernatural abilities alongside her mother's warmth and compassion. Chris and Jessica highlight the tension created by Judy's relationship with Tony, an ex-cop played by Ben Marti, as he grapples with the unexplainable forces surrounding them.
The episode dives into director Michael Chavez's restrained approach to horror, using visual effects sparingly to build an oppressive atmosphere that keeps audiences on edge. The hosts praise the film for its ability to balance genuine scares with emotional depth, particularly as Ed and Lorraine Warren face personal health challenges that add vulnerability to their characters.
With a solid rating of 7.5 out of 10, *The Conjuring: Last Rites* stands as a remarkable entry that honors the franchise's focus on familial bonds while delivering the thrills that fans crave. Chris and Jessica discuss how this film not only serves as a satisfying conclusion for long-time viewers but also welcomes newcomers into the fold, proving that character-driven horror still has a place in modern cinema.
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Chris: Horror movies are often dismissed as pure
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 entertainment, but the Conjuring franchise
00:00:04 --> 00:00:07 has managed to generate over $2.1 billion
00:00:07 --> 00:00:10 at the box office while tackling deep themes
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 about family, faith and generational
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 trauma. Let me tell you about their
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 latest entry that proves this point
00:00:18 --> 00:00:19 perfectly.
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 Jessica: That's fascinating. How does this ninth film
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 in the series manage to keep those themes
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 fresh while still delivering the scares?
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 Chris: Well, what's really interesting is how
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 they've structured this as the Warrens final
00:00:31 --> 00:00:34 case. The film centers on the Smurl family
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 haunting in Pennsylvania, but it's cleverly
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 interwoven with this deeply personal story
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 about the Warrens own daughter, Judy.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:43 Hmm. Mhm.
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 Jessica: Tell me more about how they connected those
00:00:46 --> 00:00:47 narrative threads.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 Chris: So get this. They established that
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 Judy was actually born during one of
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 Lorraine's first cases. Specifically during
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 an encounter with this terrifying mirror. Now
00:00:58 --> 00:00:59 that mirror has come back into play as adult
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 Judy, played by Mia Tomlinson,
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 deals with her own supernatural abilities.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:06 Jessica: That's m such a clever way to bring
00:01:06 --> 00:01:09 everything full circle. How does the film
00:01:09 --> 00:01:10 handle the transition between the younger
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 Judy we've seen in previous films to this
00:01:12 --> 00:01:13 adult version?
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 Chris: You know, they do it really effectively by
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 showing how she's inherited not just her
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 mother's abilities, but but also that same
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 warmth and compassion. We've come to
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 associate with Vera Farmiga's portrayal of
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 Lorraine, though now she's trying to balance
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 these powers with a normal life, including a
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 relationship with an ex cop named Tony.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 Jessica: The dynamics between the skeptical ex cop and
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 this family of paranormal investigators must
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 create some interesting tension.
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 Chris: Oh, absolutely. And that's where Ben Hardy's
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 performance as Tony really shines. We get to
00:01:47 --> 00:01:49 watch this former law enforcement officer,
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 someone trained to deal in facts and
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 evidence, gradually come to terms with
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 supernatural forces he can't explain or
00:01:55 --> 00:01:56 control.
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 Jessica: Speaking of control, I'm curious about how
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 they handled the actual scares in this one.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 Chris: Well, director Michael Chavez took this
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 really interesting approach where the visual
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 effects are used sparingly. They emerge from
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 shadows at, uh, just the right moments.
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 Combined with John Frankish's production
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 design and Benjamin Walfish's score,
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 it creates this incredibly oppressive
00:02:20 --> 00:02:20 atmosphere.
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 Jessica: That restraint in horror can be so effective.
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 It's like the old saying about what you don't
00:02:26 --> 00:02:27 see being scarier than what you do.
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 Chris: Exactly. And they apply that same principle
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 to how they handle Ed and Lorraine's
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 retirement. Instead of just writing them out,
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 they introduce these very human health issues
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 that force them to step back, which adds this
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 layer of vulnerability we haven't seen
00:02:42 --> 00:02:42 before.
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 Jessica: That must raise the stakes considerably when
00:02:45 --> 00:02:46 they do get involved.
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 Chris: It really does. And it's made even more
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 intense because we're dealing with the Smurl
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 family. Eight people all experiencing these
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 terrifying phenomena. The fact that this is
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 based on real events that continued into the
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 90s makes it even more unsettling.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 Jessica: You mentioned earlier about the franchise's
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 box office success. How does this entry
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 compare to the previous films?
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 Chris: That's what's really impressive. Despite
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 being the ninth entry, it stands among the
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 best in the series. They've managed to create
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 something that works both as a conclusion for
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 longtime fans and as an entry point for
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 newcomers, which is pretty rare in modern
00:03:22 --> 00:03:23 franchise filmmaking.
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 Jessica: So what you're saying is they've actually
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 managed to stick the landing?
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 Chris: Well, mostly, though I will say the ending
00:03:31 --> 00:03:34 feels a bit too Hollywood polished. But even
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 with that minor criticism, they've succeeded
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 in creating something that honors the series
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 focus on family relationships while still
00:03:40 --> 00:03:43 delivering those genuine scares that had the
00:03:43 --> 00:03:46 guy behind me in the theater practically
00:03:46 --> 00:03:47 jumping out of his seat.
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 Jessica: That's quite an achievement for any horror
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 film, let alone the ninth entry in a
00:03:52 --> 00:03:52 franchise.
00:03:53 --> 00:03:54 Chris: And you know what's really going to be
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 interesting to watch? How this film's success
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 might influence the future of horror
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 franchises. It shows there's still room
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 for character driven, emotionally resonant
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 horror that doesn't rely solely on jump
00:04:08 --> 00:04:09 scares and gore.
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 On a final note, I am pleased to be able to
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 say that the Conjuring Last Rites
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 is up there with the best of breed in the
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 Conjuring repertoire. Importantly, even if
00:04:20 --> 00:04:21 you haven't seen any of the others in the
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 franchise, this one can readily be viewed and
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 understood in isolation. It scores a 7
00:04:27 --> 00:04:28 1/2 out of 10.
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00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 Chris: Has been another quality podcast production
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