The Conjuring: Last Rites reviews suggest a film with two different measures of success: how effectively it frightens you, and how much you care about saying goodbye to Ed and Lorraine Warren. The strongest reason to watch is the second. For viewers invested in Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s partnership, this is a more promising proposition than it is for anyone expecting the franchise to reinvent supernatural horror.
Editorial verdict: Worth considering for established fans, with reservations about length and familiarity. Newcomers should begin with the original film.
This is a source-based critical assessment drawing on published reviews and filmmaker interviews, not a firsthand screening report. Major ending spoilers are excluded.
What critics and audiences think
As checked on October 10, 2026, Rotten Tomatoes’ Last Rites page lists a 57% Tomatometer from 192 reviews and a 76% Popcornmeter from more than 5,000 verified ratings.
Those numbers measure the proportion of positive responses, not a score of 5.7 or 7.6 out of 10. They suggest greater audience enthusiasm, but neither group is unanimous. These figures can change.
The useful question is why reactions diverge. Rotten Tomatoes’ first-reviews roundup records praise for the central performances and emotional material alongside objections to the screenplay and pacing. Some critics welcome the familiar haunted-house approach; others see a formula running out of surprises.
Our reading of that disagreement is straightforward: affection for the characters can make familiarity comforting, while someone primarily shopping for an unnerving new horror experience may find the same familiarity restrictive.
Performances: the Warrens remain the attraction
Wilson and Farmiga have an unusually important job in these films. Their relationship gives the audience something to protect before the supernatural threat becomes overwhelming. A convincing marriage matters here because the danger is supposed to threaten a shared life, not merely produce a succession of startled reactions.
In Matt Zoller Seitz’s review for RogerEbert.com, the Warren family’s domestic relationships take priority over the investigation. He finds emotional conviction in the family working together, while noting that the Smurls receive less character development.
That trade-off is central to evaluating Last Rites. Making Judy, played by Mia Tomlinson, more important gives the farewell a future-facing dimension. Ben Hardy’s Tony adds an outsider entering an established family. But every minute spent on the Warrens is time the new family cannot use to become equally distinctive.
Atmosphere and direction: a familiar house with careful craft
Michael Chaves returns as director. The production does more than place characters in a generic dark building: production designer John Frankish’s interview with The Credits describes deliberately worn interiors, older furnishings, and architectural changes made for the film.
That design approach makes sense for domestic horror. A house feels more vulnerable when it resembles somewhere people actually live, with furniture accumulated over years rather than a room decorated to announce its decade.
The limitation is that convincing surroundings and inventive suspense are separate achievements. Strong design can sustain unease, but cannot by itself make another threatening corner or ominous object unpredictable. The divided critical response suggests the film’s atmosphere travels better than its claim to be an exceptional finale.
Pacing: when family drama becomes a test of patience
At 135 minutes, Last Rites asks for a substantial investment. The question is not whether a horror film may run longer than two hours; it is whether the time deepens dread or interrupts it.
Seitz notes that the Warrens reach the haunted setting around the midpoint. That structure allows more family material, but creates a particular expectation: viewers must care about the people before receiving the concentrated investigation they may have arrived for.
For an established fan, those scenes can be part of the payoff. For a casual viewer, they can feel like waiting for the advertised film to begin. This is the most practical reservation to bring into a viewing.
Is The Conjuring: Last Rites scary?
Yes, it contains supernatural terror and bloody violence; its U.S. rating is R. But “scary” should not be confused with “the scariest Conjuring movie.” Published reactions differ on the intensity, and the familiar structure may reduce surprise for experienced horror viewers.
Expect a mixture of threatening atmosphere and shock moments, rather than uninterrupted panic. Someone sensitive to possession stories may find it considerably harder to watch than a longtime franchise fan does.
Does it work as a final Warrens story?
As an editorial judgment, the farewell is easier to defend as a family conclusion than as a new high point for horror. A final chapter can earn its place by clarifying what its characters mean to one another. It does not automatically earn that place by being bigger, longer, or more violent.
Compared with the earlier films, the attraction here is accumulated attachment. The first movie had to introduce the relationship; this one can depend on viewers already valuing it. That is also why the film is an awkward starting point.
Is it worth watching?
Watch it if you enjoy the Warrens as characters, accept a slower build, and want a concluding chapter. Adjust your expectations if your priority is originality or a relentless scare rate. The evidence supports a qualified recommendation for fans, not a universal must-watch verdict.
Ready to watch? Check our The Conjuring: Last Rites streaming guide for viewing options. Already seen it? Our ending explained article breaks down the mirror, the Warrens’ fate, and the final scene.
Watch The Conjuring: Last Rites Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for The Conjuring: Last Rites below for a glimpse of the film’s unsettling atmosphere and the Warrens’ final case. If you prefer to discover the scares without seeing them in advance, save the trailer for after your viewing.
