Consisting of 9 films, The Conjuring cinematic universe has succeeded where many horror franchises tend to fade into obscurity. While the series is unlikely to end entirely, the latest release, The Conjuring: Last Rites, promises the end of an almost 15-year chapter. Directed by Michael Chaves, Last Rites offers a satisfying conclusion to Ed and Lorraine Warren’s story.

In 1986, the Warrens travel to Pennsylvania to help a family haunted by a vengeful spirit. The film stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson and Ben Hardy.

The Conjuring: Last Rites smartly focuses much of its attention on Ed and Lorraine Warren. Once again portrayed to perfection by Farmiga and Wilson, the romance on display is sentimental and moving. In many ways, the movie plays as a relationship drama for the first half. Due to this, it does take some time for the heart of the story to kick into full gear, but the development of the main characters is what ultimately supports the scares.

This is a film with many horror sequences and jump scares. While there are a few with little impact, a dozen more will have viewers on the edge of their seats. Michael Chaves may lack the technical skill of franchise-creator James Wan, but he has certainly shown much improvement since delivering the disappointing third ‘Conjuring’ film.

It is worth mentioning that some of the details regarding the centre investigation and the family being haunted lack depth and logical consistency. This does prevent the film from reaching the heights of the first and second entries. However, even in the film’s worst moments, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are a true joy to watch.

Whether this is the end or just a short break remains to be seen. All in all, The Conjuring universe may have had ups and downs, but what cannot be denied are the genre-defining performances from Farmiga and Wilson. For a duo of horror icons, Last Rites is a solid way to close the book on an iconic franchise.