Has it really been 12 years since the first Conjuring film? Over a decade since we first saw the rictus grin of Annabelle? A dozen circuits of the sun since we met the Warrens? Well, those are rhetorical questions, so obviously… yes. And here we are at the end of the road, with the same actors in the same roles as that first movie from 2013. Despite the mixed reception that some of the spin-offs got, this fourth entry in the core series has drawn attention for being (supposedly) the last entry with the Warrens present in this cinematic universe. As stated, both Patrick Wilson (a “Scream King” if there ever was one) and Vera Farmiga return as Ed and Lorraine Warren (or at least the sympathetic cinematic versions of them), Real-life demonologists who adopted Scooby Doo plots as a genuine lifestyle. We’re not going to get into the validity of this being “based on a true story” (as much as this film tries to ram it down your throat) but take it on the benefits of simply being a piece of mainstream genre entertainment. It’s directed by Michael Chaves, who made the previous Conjuring (The Devil Made Me Do It) as well as The Nun 2. The storyline is influenced by another investigation that the Warrens were linked to, the so-called “Smurl haunting”, which brings the timeframe up to the mid-80s. Released pretty much globally (seriously, look at the IMDB release date information, showing in about 50 countries within 3 days of each other! From Azerbaijan to South Africa! How the hell did they manage that in this day and age?), it’s in US and UK cinemas “rite” now for your viewing pleasure.

 

It actually starts with a lengthy prologue set in 1964, with a young Ed and Lorraine Warren (played here by passable lookalikes Orion Smith and Madison Lawlor) in the midst of one of their first investigations. They’re helping an antiques shop owner who is being bedevilled by an evil presence that seems to be linked to a vintage mirror. Sure enough, when Lorraine inches close to it, she is overcome by a malevolent entity that induces the premature birth of her daughter (Judy), who is very nearly stillborn as a result. Years later (in 1986 to be exact), the Smurl family, a strong 8-person unit in Pennsylvania, are living normal day-to-day lives. During the confirmation of one of the daughters, she is gifted with a (guess what?) vintage mirror. Doesn’t take long for weird manifestations to occur, and for a ghoulish-looking crone to jump-scare the youngest child. Despite the media coverage, the Warrens (back to being Wilson and Farmiga, by now, of course) are not tempted to investigate, being semi-retired due to Ed’s fragile heart condition (covered in the last film). However, the involvement of Judy (Mia Tomlinson) pulls them back in, “Godfather Part 3”-style, and they are forced to face literal ghosts from the past.

 

In franchise terms, TC: LR is a thematic continuation of the plot strands from Annabelle Comes Home and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Judy’s connection to the netherworld, due to her genetic links with her mother, is explored in much more detail, and the twilight years of the Warrens (mostly due to Ed’s dicky heart) is also a main component of the plot. This is a good reason for long-term fans to lap this up, and there is much for them to spot in Easter egg fashion. Expect to see teases of Annabelle, Valek, and other long-term residents of the infamous Warren Museum. However, also be prepared for some surprise mortal cameos along the way, especially in the final scenes. These won’t mean much to casual viewers, but it’s a nice touch for rabid fans. Hell, even James Wan turns up in there for completists! But this is both a strength and a weakness of the film.

 

It's long been established that this version of the Warrens is highly romanticised, as are the bombastic supernatural vignettes that they live through. The thing is, Farmiga and Wilson are just damned good actors and highly likeable in these roles. Genre fans have understandably fallen in love with these representations due to the chemistry between these two and the earnestness which they infuse the characters with. They’re the cool couple you’d want as friends or parents. This unsurprisingly continues here and they are still hugely watchable in these roles. When Farmiga wails for her daughter’s life, it’s pretty good emoting for a mainstream piece of nonsense and you believe in it. What also helps is the introduction of the 22-year-old Judy, in the form of Tomlinson, who is also very good in her role. Called to connect with her parents about her emerging paranormal abilities and ethics, as well as being fricking terrified by an enormous version of a certain character, she nails it for the most part. Ben Hardy (ex-EastEnders actor) is also good in the role of her boyfriend, especially as it’s a character that could easily be annoying or trite.

 

That’s all well and good, but there’s an overkill in the plot regarding a sustained admiration of the Warrens. It almost becomes the “Warren Family Values” at many points. Their fear of reengaging with the paranormal (along with Ed’s health and Judy’s powers) is as much a plot strand as the Smurl haunting. The unsupernatural shenanigans of the core threesome take up just as much time as the grimacing ghosts and the magic mirror. It means that the separate stories don’t intertwine until at least the halfway stage of the film, which is 2-and-a-quarter hours by the way. This makes it feel like an awkwardly sentimental lovefest for these (admittedly) well-liked characters, rather than another jump-scare marathon that the earlier films have mostly been. It’s almost like a “greatest hits” compilation joined with an endless goodbye, rather than a solid send-off. You also get the feeling that the ideas of prequels and/or spinoffs (“The Judy Years”?) are being tested here, not just a finale.  

 

Having said all that, although it’s by no means the highlight of the franchise and could have done with some judicious pruning in some scenes (where characters simply mope around for minutes on end), there is still much to enjoy here. When the film gets its Conjure-on and just does its Conjure-thang, it does some exemplary work. There are effective callbacks to the simpler scares of the original film. Unseen presences lurk in dark corners and pull phone wires, a John Wayne poster becomes a lurking figure, and there is a masterclass jump-scare with a grinning apparition at the foot of the bed. *Chef’s Kiss*. All good, if not wholly original, stuff that plays well with a crowd. Add the ghoulish looks of the unnamed spirits and a surprisingly gory moment featuring an axe, and you get what you paid your ticket for. Does it push boundaries? No, but it’s still decent and solid genre cinema. Chaves also throws in some neat camerawork that is perhaps under-appreciated and quite sturdy. One particularly dynamic shot goes skyward from a car crash, zooms about in the air above the haunted house, and then spirals into the property via the front door. Sure, it’s CGI-porn, but it plays well in the moment.

 

The requisite spookiness is somewhat affected by a lack of originality and definition. Compared to the haunted protagonists from the 3 previous films, the Smurls (who really should be more prominent) are a pretty faceless lot. You’d be hard-pressed to remember any of their names and who is in the pivotal scenes. So much time is given over to the Warrens, that we don’t really get to know the Smurls or what drove their reckless interactions with the media, apart from the bare basics. Compare them to the Perrons from the first film or the Hodgsons from the second. The daughters are given a few effective scenes in the first half of the story, but then they melt into the background during the second half. The climax is a bit, well… daft. It echoes those endless cheap Amityville films about possessed furniture in its SFX wackiness. What’s also a bit annoying is that the demonic big-bad is free from personality or aim. Like the spooks, the puppet master is given no name or goal, just that it fancies messing with the Smurls mainly to attract the attention of the Warrens. Probably.

 

So, there we have it. TC: LR isn’t bad. The leads are as good as ever, and the “Boo!” Scenes are extremely accomplished and well-framed. It’s just that it’s a bit too much in love with its own legacy and characters. But what do we know? At the time of writing this, the film, which had a budget of just $55m, has made over $80m in just two days! Even if audiences drop off dramatically, it’s made a profit in a weekend. Not many franchises could do that, whether you count this as the 4th, 9th, or 10th in the series (it’s complicated). It proves that there is still a demand for franchised studio horror like this, even if audiences are lapping up the original scares in Weapons and Sinners. So, is it really the “Last” of the Warrens and their spooky universe? Only time will tell.