The Conjuring: Last Rites Lets The Real Warrens Off The Hook (And That's A Major Mistake)

This article contains major spoilers for "The Conjuring: Last Rites."

Despite the iffy real-life history attached to the franchise, I've always enjoyed "The Conjuring" movies for their pulpy charm. Sure, there's a time and a place for fiction to give way to facts. The narratives we make up say just as much about us human beings as the actual history we pay attention to (or ignore) along the way, after all. But James Wan's horror franchise found a successful middle ground to this little dilemma. The real Ed and Lorraine Warren, the power couple of paranormal investigators portrayed respectively by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, weren't exactly the controversy-free bastions of light and goodness as they've been depicted to be throughout the various movies. By keeping the focus on the strength of their romantic bond, however, the mainline films managed to skirt any thorny issues and keep things as entertaining — and emotional — as possible.

Until "The Conjuring: Last Rites," that is. As the (probable) grand culmination to the ongoing series, this installment inevitably has to deal with our meta-textual relationship with these fictionalized heroes. Over the years, we've watched them encounter some of the most horrifying manifestations of evil, raise a family together, and finally come to terms with their own mortality. When "Last Rites" begins, the inseparable pair are giving projector presentations of their past exploits, fending off "Ghostbusters"-fueled mockery, and otherwise dealing with the reality that they're simply not as relevant as they used to be. So it's only natural that much of the plot revolves around bringing them out of quasi-retirement, imbuing them with a fresh sense of purpose, and generally lifting them up as the unequivocal good guys we know them to be ... right?

Unfortunately, this last "The Conjuring" film stumbles at the finish line and fails to reckon with the legacy of the Warrens — their real legacy. By the time the credits roll and the ending title cards present them as two of the most important figures in history, brushing away the actions of their real-life counterparts (both of whom are now deceased) as vaguely "controversial," it can't help but feel like a missed opportunity. In the end, the movie ultimately lets them off the hook and, in the process, leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Let's get one thing out of the way first: Movies, especially blockbuster movies, don't have any obligation to hold our hands and tell audiences what's right and what's wrong. As grown-up moviegoers, it should be treated as part of the social contract that we remain willing to meet any piece of art halfway and take it on its own terms. That goes double for a horror franchise like "The Conjuring," which derives much of its thrills from a heightened tone where truly anything is possible. Director Michael Chaves, seemingly the heir apparent to "The Conjuring" franchise now that James Wan has stepped aside (though he still remains involved as a producer), essentially treats Ed and Lorraine Warren with the same level of reverence the earlier films did. So what makes his handling of the characters any different this time around?

Throughout the story, which is based on an actual (alleged) haunting in 1970s-1980s Pennsylvania, the Warren clan finally realizes that they're bound by honor and ethics to save the victimized Smurl family however they can. Rather than the thrill of the hunt or their own quest for notoriety and fame or straightforward self-preservation, Ed and Lorraine are driven by sheer altruism. Their daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson) is in grave danger, yes, but they could've easily secured her safety by leaving the Smurls' house as they intended and condemning them to their fates. It takes Judy's appeal to her parents' conscience to finally break through and convince them to do what's right — simply because it's the right thing to do. From that point onwards, Ed and Lorraine's arc in "Last Rites" becomes predicated on their innate sense of goodness as people.

Naturally, this calls to mind everything we know about their questionable actions in real life, in which they were accused of exploitation, manipulation, domestic violence, and even sexual abuse and pedophilia (per The Hollywood Reporter in a 2017 article). Add to that the fact that the real Lorraine Warren had served as a consultant on the films prior to her death in 2019, and it's easy to see how things would begin to creep into tasteless territory. By tipping the scales over into hagiography, "Last Rites" makes it all but impossible to separate fact from fiction.

"The Conjuring: Last Rites" is now playing in theaters.