The Conjuring: Last Rites 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

The Conjuring: Last Rites 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

One more, hold the "4".

Director Michael Chaves has amassed an awful filmography since 2019, consistently underwhelming horror fans with The Curse of La Llorona, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and The Nun II... so when I say that his latest film The Conjuring: Last Rites isn't terrible, that's pretty high praise indeed. Presented as a honest-to-goodness underlined coda for franchise mainstays Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, naturally), it's a torch-passing family affair that just barely gets by thanks to nostalgia, solid performances, and a few genuinely good scares. It still ain't that much of a movie, but at least can be seen as a semi-return to form after the previous outing.

This Steelbook variant probably went to print before Warner Bros. hastily added a "4" to the title as seen in their separate 4K and Blu-ray editions, which might mark the first time a film's title differed between simultaneous home video releases; otherwise, this Steelbook shares near-identical cover elements with the UHD. As usual, though, all disc-related content is the same, with the added bonus here being that you get both formats in one handy package with slightly more deluxe packaging elements. Remember when that was standard?

The Conjuring: Last Rites 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced from the Blu-ray edition, available separately and reviewed here.

For my thoughts on 4K's 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision transfer, see my recent review of the standard 4K edition.

The Conjuring: Last Rites 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, more information about the Dolby Atmos audio can be found at either review linked above.

The Conjuring: Last Rites 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc release ships in a matte-finish Steelbook (see "Overview" pic linked above), which is similar to the 4K edition's cover design (except for the missing "4" in its title) and features rotated profile pictures of Ed and Lorraine that reveal a demonic being in the red negative space. Elsewhere, it goes all-in on the black-and-red palette with an image of five clawed hands trying to grab a cross necklace from Lorraine's possession, as well as a depiction of Ed and Lorraine mostly in silhouette set against a red cross-shaped design on the inside. Both discs (guess which colors?) sit on overlapping hubs on the right. It's a striking and evocative design overall but, given this film's pass-the-torch story and equal screen time for the Smurl family, I'm surprised more characters weren't featured anywhere.

On-disc extras are identical to both standard versions linked above and are listed below in name only.

• Last Rites: An Era Ends (8:45)

• The Conjuring: Crafting Scenes (8:42)

• Michael Chaves: Believer (7:05)

The Conjuring: Last Rites 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Director Michael Chaves partially redeems himself with The Conjuring: Last Rites (with or without the added "4"), a surprisingly not-terrible franchise entry that also shares co-writers with 2021's woefully underwhelming The Devil Made Me Do It. It's mostly aided by a bit of nostalgia and a forward-thinking story that emphasis closure and a passing of the torch... which doesn't fully make up for its clichés, speed bumps, and other shortcomings, but it certainly helps a little. Simply put, those who have gotten this far will likely enjoy themselves, and Warner Bros.' separate home video options serve up proportionately strong A/V presentations but only a handful of weak bonus features.