When it comes to horror films that actually scare the life out of you and make you jump in your seat, nobody does it better than the Conjuring franchise. And now the latest installment, The Conjuring: Last Rites, has made its mark in the history books. Directed by Michael Chaves, this supernatural horror film has become 2025’s highest-grossing horror movie, with a mind-boggling ₹495 crore globally (approximately $459 million).
The movie, with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga playing the legendary paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, hit the theatres on September 5, 2025, and became an instant global phenomenon. With its mix of spine-tingling horror, heart-wrenching storytelling, and themes of faith, The Conjuring: Last Rites continues to demonstrate why this franchise is so popular even a decade after its inception.
A Record-Breaking Box Office Run
Since its release, The Conjuring: Last Rites has been ruling the box office. In a matter of weeks, it became the highest-grossing horror movie of 2025, leaving all other releases in the genre behind. The film raked in a whopping ₹495 crore worldwide, with impressive numbers pouring in from the U.S., Europe, and Asia — particularly from India, where horror enthusiasts have a special affinity for this series.
Indian viewers have always loved the Conjuring franchise for its blend of emotional depth and supernatural fright. Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru saw houseful shows, and some shows even went houseful for a couple of days. Viewers loved the build-up tension in the film, the creepy visuals, and the warm chemistry between the Warrens. Even by going up against large-scale action and fantasy movies, Last Rites stood strong, showing horror—when made well—can still hold the monopoly at the box office.
The Tale: The Smurl Family Haunting
As with the previous entries in the series, The Conjuring: Last Rites takes its cue from an actual paranormal investigation carried out by Ed and Lorraine Warren. In this instance, the pair is confronted with one of their most frightening encounters — the Smurl family haunting.
The film takes place in a peaceful Pennsylvania suburb, where the Smurl family starts seeing weird and brutal supernatural occurrences in their house. Unseen shadows, piercing knocks, and inexplicable assaults force them to live in terror. Hoping for relief, they hire Ed and Lorraine Warren, who soon discover that the family’s terror is not as it seems.
As the Warrens delve deeper into the haunting, they are confronted with an evil, millennia-old presence that challenges not only their beliefs but also their devotion to one another. The investigation soon becomes one of their most perilous cases. What makes the novel so compelling is its emotional tone — it’s not merely a fight against demons, but also the resilience of the human soul in the face of unfathomable horrors.
The Direction and Cinematic Sorcery
Director Michael Chaves, who last directed The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, comes back with an even more sophisticated, emotional, and visually eerie style. Rather than banking on jump scares, Chaves instills fear slowly and purposefully. Sound design, silence, and clever lighting are used by the film to generate an atmosphere of foreboding that stays with the viewer long after the credits have ended.
Cinematographer Tristan Nyby gets props for capturing the haunting, vintage aesthetic that fans of The Conjuring universe expect. Each shot feels purposefully composed to unsettle you whether it’s the flicker of a candle flame, a creaking hallway, or a sudden reappearance of a shadowy figure in the background.
What really sets Last Rites above most horror movies is its emotional resonance. It’s not merely ghosts and possessions; it’s about sacrifice, love, and faith. That emotional heft gives each scare a personal sting, making this movie one of the most emotive entries in the series.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga Deliver Yet Again
The keystone of The Conjuring: Last Rites is, without a doubt, the phenomenal chemistry between Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. As Ed and Lorraine Warren, the two have been the emotional lynchpin of the franchise since the start, and in Last Rites, they give what may be their most emotional performances to date.
Patrick Wilson is Ed with understated grit, a man conflicted between fear and obligation, and Vera Farmiga is Lorraine — compassionate, spiritual, and emotionally damaged by her psychic visions. Both of them lend the film its humanity in the face of all the horror. Their on-screen relationship appears genuine, rooted, and uplifting, and the audience finds itself rooting for them even as evil surrounds them from every direction.
The cast supporting the Smurl family actors also deserve praise. Their acting makes the haunting believable and emotionally real. You can sense their fear, frustration, and helplessness — all emotions that add reality to the frightening incidents on screen.
Reviews, Ratings, and Audience Response
The Conjuring: Last Rites is 135 minutes of movie, but it’s never overlong. The pace is constant, the tension mounts slowly, and the reward is all the better for it. Reviewers have collectively awarded the film a 59% Rotten Tomatoes score, whereas viewers have awarded it a much more positive 78%, which speaks volumes about fans of the latest installment being delighted.
The vast majority of the audience has applauded the movie for being true to its heritage — relying on atmosphere, narration, and emotional resonance instead of gratuitous visual effects. Several even go as far as to deem Last Rites an appropriate emotional ending for Ed and Lorraine’s ordeal, describing it as the “most heartfelt Conjuring film” so far.
The Conjuring: Last Rites OTT Release Date in India
Since the movie has successfully wrapped its theatrical run, there is a lot of anticipation to watch it on OTT in India. Globally, The Conjuring: Last Rites was released to digital rental on October 7, 2025, on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
For Indian viewers, the OTT release date has not been confirmed, but it is believed it will come out shortly on prominent pay-per-view channels such as Prime Video and Apple TV. Given the film’s enormous following in India, its streaming release promises to pull in a massive audience.
For fans who enjoy having physical copies, The Conjuring: Last Rites will be released on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD on November 25, 2025. These will include behind-the-scenes documentaries, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga interviews, and deleted scenes that delve more deeply into the Smurl haunting.
The Conjuring franchise has never lacked a devoted fan base in India. Its blend of family, religion, and supernatural horror resonates with Indian viewers who enjoy emotionally charged storytelling combined with body-shivering terror. With Last Rites having been termed the emotional climax of the series, fans are more eagerly anticipated to see it at home than ever before.
Social media is already abuzz with fan theories and speculations as to whether Last Rites will be the real finality of the Conjuring universe or if there is more on the way. Since this installment has been a gigantic commercial success, fans are eagerly anticipating continuation of Ed and Lorraine’s legacy in spin-offs or sequels to come.
Final Verdict: A Fitting and Frightening Farewell
The Conjuring: Last Rites is not only another horror movie—it’s an experience. It succeeds in scaring you, it moves you, and even compels you to think about the strength of faith and love. With its box office records, incredible performances, and indelible atmosphere, the film is one of the decade’s greatest horror releases.
Whether you’re watching it in theatres, waiting for the OTT release in India, or planning to buy the Blu-ray, The Conjuring: Last Rites is a must-watch for every horror fan. It’s a hauntingly beautiful goodbye to the Warrens’ journey and a powerful reminder that sometimes, the scariest battles are the ones fought within.
So sit back, switch off the lights, and get your popcorn ready — because The Conjuring: Last Rites is landing soon on your screens, and it’s going to leave you gasping for air.
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