Explained ending of the horror movie The Conjuring: Last Rites (Spoiler Alert)

The Conjuring: Last Rites ends definitively with its last narration. This film fuses terror with emotion, achieving a farewell that respects the legacy of researchers of unexplained phenomena.

The movie begins remembering the year 1964, when Lorraine, who is pregnant and is curious about an antique mirror that breaks when she touches it. A few minutes later, she gives birth to Judy, who is born lifeless, but her mother brings her back to life. Years pass and the mirror reappears through the Smurl family, unleashing disturbing phenomena: falling objects, strange voices, ghostly apparitions and violent demonstrations.

As the story progresses, the demon becomes present and searches for Judy, marked by that cursed object since her birth. In the end, with the support of Ed and Lorraine, Judy confronts evil and, using her psychic abilities along with the strength of the family prayer, they manage to destroy the mirror and stop the threat. Thus, they manage to free the Smurl family from their eternal suffering.

A meaningful ending

The touching finale of The Conjuring: Last Rites is presented at Judy's wedding, where Ed accompanies her down the aisle next to Tony, her future husband. Among the attendees, there are well-known faces from previous stories such as Carolyn Perron and her daughter Cindy, Janet Hodgson and David Glatzel, as well as James Wan, the artist behind the saga. In the intimacy of the celebration, Lorraine shares a vision of a future full of peace and family, where the couple become grandparents and enjoy their old age, reaffirming the idea of a full and peaceful retirement.

The mirror symbolizes a cycle of beginning and end, that the Warrens' legacy is transmitted to Judy, that there is a significant weight related to faith and family sacrifice, and that nostalgia is a crucial aspect in the sensibility of the characters who have evolved through the different moments of the saga.

Regarding the entities that appear in the fourth film, it is known that there are three that act as a front to reinforce the higher power that controls the mirror. The first are an elderly woman, her daughter, and the husband who killed them both with an axe. Lorraine believes that they are part of the past of the house where the tormented family lives, and that their sole mission is to make its members suffer. However, it is not so clear who exactly controls the events, but their goal is to lure the Warrens to the mirror that defeated them when they were younger, and they want revenge by taking the life of their daughter.

After the credits roll at the end of the film, there are still two scenes that complete the story. The first shows a moving tribute with real photos of Ed and Lorraine: texts celebrating their legacy, the launch of a book, their deaths in 2006 and 2019, and their enduring influence.

In the second scene, the mirror that summons spirits is highlighted: the famous object that gives meaning to the entire saga, presented as the core of its origin and enigmatic destiny, strengthening its symbolic connection to the series. This suggests that there could be room for future films about the work of a new generation of investigators, with Judy and Tony leading a new era of paranormal investigations.

Unknown

The Conjuring: Last Rites constantly shifts between Ed and Lorraine's concerns and the discovery of the paranormal from their daughter's point of view. For this reason, many believe there is the possibility of a continuation of the story through their offspring: Judy.

New characters, more vitality, and a clearer handling of their powers against spirits could be what is needed to rethink The Conjuring films. Therefore, the question arises as to whether the story will continue or if this is truly the end.

The ending of The Conjuring 4 made it quite clear that, at least for Lorraine and Ed, this is indeed the end. However, the possibilities remain open for other stories within this universe. As for James Wan, director of the first film and producer of the series, he commented that this fourth film is truly the end for the Warrens. Much of it focused on providing an emotional and grand conclusion to their story, rather than continuing it for marketing purposes.