Looking into a mirror, not noticing anything at first, then staring into it, until tapping the glass, and …BANG! Glass shatters, sending you sprinting out of the room, running for your life. This might not have happened, but it did happen to Lorraine Warren in the newest and final Conjuring movie in the series, The Conjuring: Last Rites. This lengthy two-hour and fifteen-minute film is arguably the horror movie of the year. But does it compare to the other Conjuring movies in the trilogy?

     Being the final movie of the franchise, much was expected from the film, and honestly, I personally believe it lived up to its expectations. The movie is based on the Smurl Family Haunting in Pennsylvania. In real life, the Smurl Family reported demonic activity in their house starting in 1973, and as it progressively worsened, the Smurls finally contacted paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren in 1986. The activity the Smurls noticed at first included tools missing and then reappearing, unplugged appliances catching fire, and strong odors. As the paranormal activity intensified, the family became involved in violent situations such as a light fixture falling on one of the daughters, the family dog being thrown against the wall, and neighbors hearing screams from the house when the family was not home (New England Society For Psychic Research). Ed and Lorraine deemed there were four demons terrorizing the home. The spirits included: an elderly woman, a violent young girl, a man who died in the home, and a demon,” according to Emily Blackwood of People.com.

     While the film was based on the Smurl case, the movie included other features to keep the viewers engaged. Some additions different from reality included a haunted mirror, the inclusion of the Warren’s daughter Judy, Annabelle, the demonic doll, and more. The movie focused on the Warren Family. Throughout the film, the emphasis on Judy Warren became more important as the haunting of the house was connected to her. The ending of the movie showed a definite solution to all of the paranoia and briefly showed the Warrens’ life after dealing with spirits, paranormal activity, and demons. 

     After watching this movie with fellow senior, Ava Hubner, here are some key takeaways. We both agreed there was an interesting story to the film, even though some of it was not true to the original story. Although Hubner says, “It wasn’t as scary as the other movies in the trilogy.” There were many scenes that jumpscared the crowd; for the other parts of the movie, everything played out as expected. When asked if Ava would change about the movie, she responded, “I would change the Annabelle part where she grows because it is unrealistic to the older movies, to where she is a normal doll size.” I would agree. With the interesting storyline and intense horror accompanied by a fair amount of comedy, this movie, in our opinion, scored a 9/10. If you or a group of friends are looking for a classic scary movie experience, I recommend seeing The Conjuring: Last Rites, playing at a theatre near you.