“The Conjuring: Last Rites” marks the latest and allegedly final installment in the prolific “Conjuring” franchise, a series that has explored the paranormal investigations of Ed and Lorraine Warren for over a decade. The film addresses a common question faced by long-running franchises: is it time for these heroes to conclude their journey? For Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who have become genre icons for their portrayals of the real-life paranormal investigators, this adventure initially finds them somewhat removed from active cases, lecturing to smaller audiences. However, this respite is short-lived as the Warrens are drawn back into the supernatural realm for what promises to be a comprehensive send-off.

The franchise, which began with “The Conjuring” in 2013, has spanned nine films (excluding the non-canon “The Curse of La Llorona”). While known for its jump scares and atmospheric horror, previous entries often suffered from generic narratives surrounding the haunted families, allowing the eccentric Warrens to consistently upstage them. “Last Rites” attempts to rectify this by narrowing its focus and centering the narrative more directly on its marquee characters, providing less of the aforementioned generic filler.

The story draws inspiration from one of the Warrens’ most publicized cases: the Smurls, a three-generation Pennsylvania family experiencing violent paranormal occurrences. The film takes creative liberties by intertwining the Smurls’ haunting with the Warrens’ personal history, specifically a cursed mirror they first encountered at the very start of their careers, just hours before their daughter, Judy (Mia Tomlinson), was born in 1964. A flashback reveals a traumatic birth where a demon sought to claim baby Judy, but Lorraine’s fervent prayers ensured her survival. Now decades later, in 1986, Judy, having inherited her mother’s clairvoyant abilities, finds herself increasingly overwhelmed by visions, while her parents, though semi-retired due to Ed’s heart condition, are inexorably pulled back into the fight when the same malevolent mirror resurfaces in the Smurls’ home.

For its initial hour, the film alternates between the Smurls’ terrifying experiences and the Warrens’ efforts to understand and combat the escalating evil. While the film is often obvious in telegraphing its scares and exposition, it manages to generate palpable unease. Director Michael Chaves, who previously helmed “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” and “The Nun II,” shows improved form. He employs several commanding images, such as an anxious child’s face reflected in home video playback or the gloomy infinity mirror of a wedding dress shop, and uses a hand-held camera effect that effectively captures an 1980s aesthetic. Despite some instances of overcooking pivotal scares, the film successfully utilizes familiar horror tropes to deliver a spine-tingling experience, inducing clammy palms and elevated heart rates for many viewers.

A core element of “The Conjuring” franchise has always been its faith-based foundation, taking the Warrens’ unorthodox Christian counseling at face value. While this conviction historically provided a powerful dynamic in reshaping other families’ situations, “Last Rites” shifts the focus, making the Warrens themselves the primary targets of demonic forces, with the Smurls becoming increasingly peripheral. This shift, however, inadvertently diminishes the stakes, as the Warrens’ unwavering faith is never truly questioned, leading to a somewhat on-rails narrative despite a bloated, franchise-high runtime.

Wilson and Farmiga deliver extraordinary performances, as always. They are given more emotional depth to explore in this installment and rise to the occasion, maintaining their characteristic blend of grounded belief and subtle kookiness. Their portrayal continues to be an enduring and aspirational depiction of marriage: two lovers confronting the world’s darkest evils together. Mia Tomlinson as Judy and Ben Hardy as her fiancé also contribute to the film’s tense and unsettling climax. The film concludes with a