The Conjuring: Last Rites Breaks Records, Shrugs Off Critics — Here’s the Real Story

Why This Caught My Eye

Horror’s having a year, and The Conjuring: Last Rites just planted a bloody flag on top. The finale to James Wan’s universe didn’t just open big-it set the biggest global opening ever for a horror film and cruised past $400 million worldwide. That’s wild for a ninth-year franchise entry with a 59% on Rotten Tomatoes. As someone who grew up on late-night Conjuring marathons and now spends weekends in Phasmophobia, this critic-audience split matters. It says something about what horror fans actually want in 2025: confident, crowd-pleasing set pieces, familiar icons, and yes-more bite.

Key Takeaways

• Last Rites smashed records: a staggering $194M global opening and over $400M worldwide to date.
• Critics were lukewarm (59% on Rotten Tomatoes), but early audiences called it “the best of the franchise” and “the scariest and most emotional chapter.”
• Director Michael Chaves pushed a “bloodier, louder, more aggressive” tone-more Insidious and Evil Dead than slow-burn Conjuring.
• Annabelle’s surprise return and a “back to basics” pitch signal legacy-character comfort food done at blockbuster scale.

Breaking Down the Numbers

Let’s talk receipts. The Conjuring: Last Rites cleared the psychological $400M threshold, outpacing horror rivals Sinners ($366.7M), Final Destination Bloodlines ($313M), and Weapons ($263.6M). It even leapfrogged the buzzier 28 Years Later at $151.2M. The opening alone—$194M globally—is the kind of number that usually belongs to capes or cars, not crucifixes.

This isn’t an outlier; it’s the franchise doing what it’s always done. The Conjuring universe has been horror’s most bankable brand for a decade, and Last Rites proves the Warren-shaped hook still lands. Horror economics favor modest budgets and high repeat viewings—word-of-mouth, date-night rewatchability, and social buzz that thrives on shareable scares. When you add back-from-the-dead icons and a “final chapter” hook, you get box office gravity.

The Critic-Audience Split, Explained

On paper, a 59% score is “fine.” One review even called it “disappointing” and “not bold or memorable enough” for an epilogue. But the fan chatter told a different story, dubbing it “the best of the franchise” and “the scariest and most emotional chapter.” That disconnect tracks with 2025’s horror mood: theatrical crowds want assertive energy and familiar faces; critics want reinvention.

Michael Chaves—who previously steered The Curse of La Llorona, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and The Nun II—leans in hard here. Last Rites is deliberately “more bloody, louder, more aggressive,” name-checking vibes from Insidious to Evil Dead. The 135-minute runtime is a lot, and you feel the weight in the back half, but when the set pieces hit (including an exorcism that ends with a fall through a ceiling), they hit. Chaves said the team wanted to go “back to basics,” finish “with confidence,” and “on their own terms” to avoid the series becoming “exhausted.” The Annabelle cameo—“almost the mascot of The Conjuring”—is fan service that actually lands.

Why This Matters to Horror Fans (and Gamers)

From the seat next to the popcorn to the desk chair with a headset, the signal is the same: audiences want horror with teeth and a heart. That mirrors what we’ve seen on the gaming side with Alan Wake 2’s prestige production, The Outlast Trials’ intensity-first design, and the ongoing boom of streamer-friendly, jump-scare-forward experiences.

If Warner Bros. is paying attention, the path forward for Conjuring isn’t just more movies—it’s smarter transmedia. The Warren mythos practically begs for a game that blends investigation and ritual: think L.A. Noire-style interviews meshed with Phasmophobia’s equipment-driven hunts and a proper exorcism system that uses location, evidence, and timing. If “back to basics” was the movie’s mantra, a game counterpart should focus on readable rules, escalating dread, and fewer QTEs, more agency. Please, no rushed mobile tie-in; do it right or don’t do it.

Also worth noting: audiences didn’t punish the film for leaning into violence. That opens the door for bolder, R-rated horror games to get greenlit by cautious publishers. If a two-hour-plus, franchise-capping gore-and-feels cocktail can top the charts, a mid-budget, mechanics-driven horror title has room to breathe too.

Looking Ahead

Studios love the word “finale” until the ledger suggests otherwise. Chaves and company say they ended this “on their own terms,” and I buy that intent—but $400M has a way of reopening haunted doors. Even if the mainline Warren saga rests, the universe still has Annabelle, the Occult Museum, and case files to mine. I’d rather see fewer, sharper entries than a content mill, but Last Rites proved there’s still an audience for this flavor when it’s delivered with conviction.

For now, chalk this up as a win for big-swing studio horror and a reminder that critics and crowds often watch different movies. If you come for Farmiga and Wilson’s chemistry, reckless exorcisms, and operatic hauntings, you’ll get your ticket’s worth. If you wanted the franchise to reinvent itself, you’ll likely side with the reviews.

TL;DR

The Conjuring: Last Rites crushed records with a $194M opening and $400M+ haul despite middling reviews. It doubles down on blood, emotion, and legacy characters—exactly what 2025’s horror crowds are buying. Expect fewer farewells and more “one last jobs” in this universe.