Reviews
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ Review: Back To Basics, But Is Basic Enough?
The Conjuring: Last Rites is a film that feels anxious. Anxious about sending off its characters, anxious about cutting things too short, and anxious about taking any risks. Ultimately, it is what it needs to be. It’s a back-to-basics entry in the series, designed from head to toe to give the Warrens the kind of peculiarly pleasant poltergeist filled sendoff you’d expect. Conjuring fans will be pleased with how it evokes the first two films and how much love it shows its main characters. But for those with little emotional attachment to the franchise and those who find little appeal in callbacks, the back-to-basics approach won’t do much.
The Conjuring Is A Billion Dollar Beast That Must Be Fed
Maybe it’s a righteous anxiety. If the Nightmare on Elm Street series was what made New Line Cinema “The House That Freddy Built”, then it’s safe to say the Conjuring franchise made New Line Cinema “The House That James Wan Kept In Order”. As of this year, The Conjuring’s cinematic universe is a multi-billion-dollar property and the most financially reliable one in all of horror history (at the very least the highest grossing). It demands repeating what you’ve done before, because that is what has made New Line and Atomic Monster money hand over fist for more than a decade now.
But what makes money and what makes a film great have never really been the same, have they?
This leads to a story and plot devices and performances you’ve seen before: a demon does bad things to a family of good people, this time in suburban Pennsylvania, as the film attempts to depict the Smurl haunting of 1986. Ed and Lorraine Warren show up to help them, once again played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. They are terrorized by haunted children’s toys, monsters lurking in mirrors and shadows, and it all culminates in a big exorcism. The primary difference this time around is that the Warrens themselves are victims as well, as their daughter, Judy (Mia Tomlinson), is being targeted by a malicious entity simultaneously, one that has had her on its list since the day she was born.
The (Fictional) Warrens Final Ride Tugs At The Heartstrings
Despite any grievances one might have with the real-life Warrens, I have always been of the opinion that the fictional Warrens were the least interesting part of the series. An insistence on putting Ed and Lorraine front and center in the second and third films seemed to overlook that the majority of the charm of the first film was in the time we spent with the Perron family. Their slow burn suffering through the Infestation and Oppression steps of the Warren’s iconic three-stage demon map, their struggle against the unknown, that was what made the first film iconic and atmospheric. Some of that is recreated here with the Smurls and their realistic family conflict in the face of the supernatural. But make no mistake, this film belongs to the Warrens.
And this entry, surprising as it may be, made me actually enjoy watching the Warrens and seeing their relationship with their now grown daughter Judy play out. Tomlinson delivers on her role, bringing life to a character who was effectively a latchkey kid, coming home every day to an arsenal of the most wildly evil artifacts on earth. Here, she has developed psychic abilities similar to her mother, leading to a struggle to suppress them and live a normal life. Her relationship with her parents is believable, and she plays especially well opposite Farmiga.
Heartwarming Climax with a Sentimental Edge
Our fourth expedition with the Warrens is undeniably schmaltzy in highlighting this, but that sentimentality it smacks you with intertwines with the plot nicely. It even takes the usual bombastic climax you’ve come to anticipate from modern exorcism films and actually tries to say something instead of just knocking you in the head repeatedly with eerie visuals and loud noises. The big confrontation, which evolves from the walls of a house exploding and people being thrown around by infernal telekinesis, ultimately becomes something heartwarming and on theme.
The Conjuring: Last Rites Is A House Tonally Divided
Now despite the sweetness in that regard, the film cannot be saved from its more glaring flaws by the power of family. Last Rites comes in at a slightly bloated 2 hours and 15 minutes runtime due to the cutting back and forth between its a-plot and its b-plot. The fact the actual Smurl haunting feels like a B-plot at all until the final third of the film is a symptom of a much bigger disconnect in the script.
Last Rites is a scare-a-minute fare on one side, chock full of jump scares and some actually very effective set pieces surrounding its paranormal antagonists (see: one of the Smurl daughters scouring a tape to catch a glimpse of the entity attacking her family, and the surprising death of a series regular). But its other half is too whimsical to bridge the gap. It’s hard to get in and out of the mood to be scared by malevolent spirits when you have things like a table tennis montage between Ed and Judy’s new boyfriend set to Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” jerking you back into lightheartedness.
What results is a film that, while entertaining as the closer to the series in abstract, ultimately fails to reach the practical levels of dread the original or its sequel did. The Conjuring still manages to give me consistent chills with its scares all these years later, but Last Rites only manages to land hits a little more than half the time. It is a house tonally divided, and it’s a miracle that it doesn’t totally collapse by the end despite that division.
Michael Chaves Directing Course Corrects For The Finale
Returning director Michael Chaves, who helmed The Devil Made Me Do It and The Nun II, at the very least revitalizes things from the aesthetic downgrade we got in the last film. He doesn’t bring the heat he was bringing in The Nun II, but he does recover from the misstep that was the third movies’ cartoonish presentation.
The movement of the camera and the visuals provided here are the course correction the series really needed for its final run. It feels reductive to say he’s a good understudy for James Wan, given he’s directed more Conjuring films than Wan has at this point, but it’s hard not to make the comparison when so much of this film calls back to that original that started it all.
The Conjuring: Last Rites closes the book on a very large chapter of horror history, along with serving a side of the warm and fuzzies for those particularly invested in the characters Wilson and Farmiga made famous. But it’s far from the best the franchise has to offer, suffering from tonal whiplash and an inconsistent ability to generate scares. While I’m glad for the horror fans that will enjoy it, I have a nagging feeling that “The Case That Ended It All” won’t stand the test of time the way its predecessors have.
Within the found footage subgenre exists an even more niche and untapped market. Screen life has slowly overtaken found footage; hardcore fans, like myself, ache for something different. One of the more interesting sub-subgenres of found footage is something that I don’t think has a name yet, so let’s name it here and now. How about…TV-gone-rogue! The TV-gone-rogue subgenre is small. Ghostwatch got the ball rolling for these gone rogue-like films, but there was radio silence for quite some time. It would be Chris LaMartina’s WNUF Halloween Special that really brought this idea back into the limelight. Many filmmakers have tried to make TV-gone-rogue interesting, and many have failed. That is until Simon Glassman stepped onto the scene with Buffet Infinity.
Buffet Infinity: A Chaotic Tale of Westridge
The town (city?) of Westridge is whisked into chaos when the new Buffet Infinity restaurant rolls into town. Local sandwich shop owner Jennifer Avery (Allison Bench) is the first to take the soon-to-be conglomerate to task with increasingly pointed advertisements. Suddenly, local restaurant owners/workers go missing in droves as Buffet Infinity expands into neighboring businesses. Sinkholes, missing cityfolk, quarantines, and mysterious sounds abound, leaving residents to ask one question…who really has the sauce?
On the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival schedule, the header image for Buffet Infinity shows multiple people T-posing and floating in the sky. I was immediately sold. I had no clue what I was getting into, and I didn’t want to know. The film was introduced as “one of the craziest we have this year.” (Slightly paraphrasing.) What was I about to watch? Little did I know, it was about to be an hour and forty minutes of small-town madness.
Writers Allison Bench and Elisia Snyder, and writer-director Simon Glassman, transport viewers into an upside down world of weaponized local ads; a thriving town invaded by the deep pockets of monopolized capitalism. As someone who grew up in a decently sized town, though probably not large enough to be considered a city, there was a tinge of nostalgia that accompanied Buffet Infinity. Westridge feels cozy and intimate, a town where everyone knows your name. It’s a “baked in a buttery flaky crust” town. Sure, they have their McDonald’s and Burger Kings, but the real townsfolk eat at Jennifer’s sandwich shop–local knitting circles murmur about what they think is in Jennifer’s secret sauce. Simply put, Westridge feels like a home that many people like myself grew up in. And it reminds us of a simpler time that’s long gone.
A Unique Blend of Humor and Eldritch Terror
Buffet Infinity hides its horror well. It slowly guides the viewer into a sense of unease. As easily as the creators have you laughing, they have you squirming. The absurdist joy quickly transforms into Eldritch terrors from beyond. Many filmmakers say they’re inspired by the idea of it’s-not-what-you-see that’s scary, but many times it feels performative. Bench, Glassman, and Snyder have crafted a truly special script that edges you with terror and excitement. They constantly push you to the edge of release, and then back away. It’s the Japanese water torture of exposition. And, for me, it works incredibly well.
One of the most important aspects of Buffet Infinity is the over-capitalization of our lives. While the creators tackle this idea in a tongue-in-cheek manner, their message is highly effective. For the most part. This constant tete-a-tete between Buffet Infinity and the locals is highly amusing, but brings a larger conversation to the forefront. The town I grew up in is a shadow of what it once was. And I know many feel the same about the towns they grew up in. I can already hear the moans of people who dislike this film: “Brandon, it’s not that deep.” And I would highly disagree. Buffet Infinity feels like a reflective protest film–a loud and proud middle finger at what we should have said when the Super Walmart put mom and pops out of business.
Sorry, this review has gone off the rails. Let’s reel it back in a bit.
Why Buffet Infinity Redefines Found Footage
Buffet Infinity is a riotous romp, a hilarious horror that goes from zero to 100 pretty damn fast. Each commercial slowly builds on its last and uniquely tells its story. This film sets a new precedent for the TV-gone-rogue subgenre. Not to directly compare, but a film like WNUF Halloween Special (a film I love) uses its commercials as a coda; it’s a separation of what you saw/heard and prepares you for the next movement. Buffet Infinity uses its commercial to create the story. Instead of watching news pieces, then irrelevant commercials, then back to news pieces, Buffet Infinity breaks the mold. Hell, it creates the mold.
As someone who has been dying to see a Welcome to Nightvale film, Buffet Infinity is the closest thing I could ask for. It is full of killer performances (looking at you, Ahmed Ahmed), is well-crafted, and sets a new precedent on an underutilized side of found footage. Buffet Infinity is a full-course meal. I highly suspect that Buffet Infinity will gather the unwavering support that Hundreds of Beavers gathered and will go on to be considered an instant classic of the 2020s.
We are all very much aware of how much time we spend on our phones. More importantly, anyone on the internet can see how younger generations are impacted by being constantly online. So, Zack Ogle and Aaron Pagniano’s new film, It Needs Eyes, is preaching to the choir. However, it adds creepy layers to the conversations many of us are already having today.
It Needs Eyes follows a teen named Rowan (Raquel Lebish) who is moving in with her aunt after a traumatic event. Her aunt Mella (Lydia Fiore) hasn’t spoken to the family in years. So, her relationship with her niece is strained to say the least. However, she has stepped in now that Rowan’s father is in the hospital. Further widening their divide is the fact that Rowan is glued to her phone.
The Internet Is Scary
We see Rowan watching random videos, as she tries to distract herself from her own thoughts while she worries about her father. However, soon, cat videos aren’t doing it for her, and she starts to find extreme videos online. Things escalate to the point that she is watching self-harm videos and clips of people dying. This addiction begins to make it hard for her to connect with the people around her, including her new neighbor and love interest, Alex (Isadora Leiva).
It Needs Eyes has a protagonist that many can relate to. After all, aren’t we all using these smart devices to hide from our own problems? Who among us hasn’t lost an embarrassing amount of hours watching videos and reels? However, because it’s driving in the internet addiction lane, Rowan’s need for content escalates. She needs darker videos in the same way that someone makes the leap into harder drugs. Her journey parallels nicely with her father’s battle with addiction, which is one of the many things Rowan doesn’t seem ready to face.
Addiction and Loneliness are a Deadly Combo
Rowan’s addiction, loneliness, and inability to fully connect with people not on her phone eventually leads her to stumble across the ultimate score. She discovers a woman named Fishtooth (Lola Blanc) who made videos in the 80s and seemingly disappeared. Rowan cannot let this mystery go and soon begins to follow clues that Fishtooth may be closer than she thinks. This is where the creepy mystery thread begins to weave itself around all of the other threads of the film. Before Fishtooth was introduced, I was starting to worry this movie would just be seven fucked up images in a trench coat.
It Needs Eyes is one of those movies you go back and forth on. I loved discussing the themes of it in the bar after the Brooklyn Horror Film Fest screening. I even really dug some of the twisted imagery and topics it manages to tackle. The movie deserves some respect for how it handles so many issues surrounding internet culture without straying too far from its path. If you’re looking for a dark exploration of how the internet is absorbing us and preventing us from being present in our actual lives, this is your movie. It’s an interesting and at times disturbing reminder that we should all unplug more often.
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