The horror franchise that had moviegoers watching behind their fingers but on the edge of their seats. The Conjuring quartet released its final installment this year, and it did not disappoint. The movie follows a family tortured by several spirits they cannot escape in their own home.
Religion in entertainment is hit or miss; the Conjuring writers allow the movie to hit home and get to know its characters without smacking viewers in the face with a religion they should or shouldn’t follow. Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, were devoted Roman Catholics who used their prayer and beliefs to ward off demons from the other side, as they call it.
The Conjuring: Last Rites begins with the Warrens ‘ retirement. Ed is dealing with health issues, while Lorraine is focused on her daughter, Judy, played by Mia Tomlinson, who may have the same gift as her mother: the ability to see and feel spirits. Together, the family grudgingly decides to help one last family rid their life of dangerous demons causing physical, emotional, and psychological pain in their family home.
In years prior, the Warrens have used religious prayer to strip homes of evil spirits. This home proved more difficult as their local church had given up on the Smurl family some time before. Feeling abandoned by their pastor, the family turned to the media for help.
The Smurl family case was so horrific and unique that it pulled the Warrens out of retirement in hopes that they could save this family. Riding this home of anything evil proved strenuous; luckily, they had the help of their newly engaged and powerful daughter and her fiancé. Together, the four used the power of prayer to purge the home of anything that did not belong.
The film relied heavily on the power of not only religion and prayer but also on family. Had these four not stuck together and continued to battle this demon, who knows what condition the Smurl family would have been left in all those years ago. Religion is highly diverse in many ways, given the many religions around the world. The mere mention of anything religious turns many off, but The Conjuring quartet uses it to its advantage and puts on one hell of a performance. The film is a must-see for not only horror fans but also for anyone looking for something to tug at their heartstrings and terrify them at the same time.
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