The Conjuring: Last Rites delivers another thrilling chapter of the iconic Conjuring cinematic Universe, based on real events. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson reunite for one last case as renowned, real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren in a powerful and spine-chilling addition to the global box office-breaking franchise.
What makes this case different is that it strikes at the core of Ed and Lorraine’s mission and attacks the very heart of the Warren family… their daughter, Judy. Farmiga and Wilson star alongside Mia Tomlinson and Ben Hardy, who portray Ed and Lorraine’s daughter Judy Warren and her boyfriend, Tony Spera, as well as Steve Coulter returning as Father Gordon, Rebecca Calder, Elliot Cowan, Beau Gadsdon, Kíla Lord Cassidy, John Brotherton and Shannon Kook.
Conjuring leads Farmiga and Wilson had a chance to chat about the film.
Can we discuss our current status with The Conjuring: Last Rites?
VERA FARMIGA: Sure. The Conjuring: Last Rites is 1986, which means Chernobyl. It means the beginning of Iran Contra. It means the Challenger space shuttle. And the Smurl case.
PATRICK WILSON: The Smurl case. It’s also a good, good era in rock music.
VERA FARMIGA: But it’s been really cool to age up until 1986, because we started The Conjuring in 1971.
PATRICK WILSON: Is that when it was?
VERA FARMIGA: Annabelle Comes Home was 1972.
Do you know all this by heart? Or look this up before we sat down?
VERA FARMIGA: No, no. It’s hanging above my makeup chair. Jess [makeup artist Jessica Needham] has all the photos throughout and I can track it. So, The Conjuring is 1971 and Annabelle’s 1972. And The Conjuring 2’s 1977. And this is ‘86.
PATRICK WILSON: Right. The third Conjuring was ‘81.
VERA FARMIGA: And it’s been great. I mean, it’s easier for us to kind of age gracefully with these roles. You see it in the lines in our faces. You see it in the silvers in my hair. You see it in our comfort level with each other, in our assuredness in these roles. It’s been a really fun thing to grow up through the decades and explore all the different fashions of the time and the hairstyles. But yeah, 1986, baby.
What is it about Ed and Lorraine Warren that continues to compel us?
VERA FARMIGA: I think that the Warrens are captivating because they are an epic couple. They trigger our belief in heroism and self-sacrifice. They show us that if you embrace compassion and if you put your special gifts to use, then you can make the world a kinder, gentler, more loving, holier place. And we present them in very idyllic ways, but we present them to be kind of an example of the love commandment.
PATRICK WILSON: I also think the way these characters are presented, our performances of them, it contrasts so well with the darkness of the stories. As dark as the stories go, as fractured as the families are and as heavy as the drama that’s created with the cases they’re investigating, it really solidifies their relationship. You have that heroic, idyllic, loving relationship.
You’re able to achieve all of that while they work in concert together. Meaning, the darker we go, the more light we can find. Those moments of levity and love, humor and chemistry… I think that’s why it’s become a safe space, the Warrens. Our Warrens have
become that.
What were each of you looking for in this farewell to these characters?
VERA FARMIGA: Last Rites—the last ceremony, the last act, the last hurrah. I think this particular story is an appropriate ending to Ed and Lorraine’s story, because I think this particular demon that they’re fighting has a personal vendetta against these two that goes back decades, right? And this demon in particular is a vengeful, bloodthirsty, death-inducing—
PATRICK WILSON: Great adjectives. You are really good at this.
VERA FARMIGA: —macabre demon that will not rest until it gets what it wants. And what it
wants is very, very personal to who they are.
PATRICK WILSON: We needed that story to engage. And then, I think for us, we needed to see them both in peril and in heroic moments, but also, these middle-aged people examining where they are—as we all do—and asking, “What are we doing with our lives?”
And I think it’s important for Ed and Lorraine at that point, as they’re ushering in a new era with their daughter, to figure out where she’s going, and what it means to sacrifice yourself both physically and emotionally. So, it was all of those sorts of emotions and themes that needed to play into it. As an older couple, looking at youth, looking at their lives, have they accomplished what they wanted to? Is there anything else? Or maybe it’s better just for them to ride off into the sunset? That’s the struggle that we wanted to achieve, and I think we have.
Where are Lorraine and Ed at the beginning of the film?
VERA FARMIGA: When we catch up with Lorraine and Ed, they’re several decades into their careers. They’ve been through the ringer with many sensational cases at this point. They’ve been thrust into the spotlight, and they’ve had their share of scrutiny and of scoff. And they’re battle worn, to be honest with you. It’s emotional labor, what they do.
And certainly, the stress of their work has taken a real toll on Ed’s health and his blood pressure, and on Lorraine’s general well-being. It’s kind of like… a caretaker exhaustion, when you go so deep into caring for someone else, caring for others. It’s an all-over fatigue. So, she’s taking this time and forcing him to take this time. For her, she’s on hiatus. I think Ed’s always bucking to go for another, the old buckaroo. But in terms of Lorraine, she’s in self-preservation mode.
How do her psychic gifts manifest themselves, particularly with regard to
Judy?
VERA FARMIGA: The real Lorraine Warren told me that her psychic ability had a kind of on-off switch, and she could turn it on as needed, or as she wanted to, and she could turn it off. It was akin to tuning in an old radio that you could enhance or boost the signal, or just shut it down, and it really was a choice.
Now, in her self-imposed hiatus, her signals are turned down—the volume is low. Until she receives a first image when you least expect it—doing dishes. Her daughter Judy has inherited Lorraine’s clairvoyance, her psychic ability. And Lorraine knows full well that this is a gift that can be either a blessing or a curse, depending on how you embrace it and your own feelings towards it.
And like every mother for her daughter, she just hopes that Judy can embrace that gift, harness it and grow in confidence in it. To believe in it as much as Lorraine believes in Judy’s abilities. But up to this point in the films, we’ve seen that Judy is someone who is quite frightened of it.
Where are you in terms of Ed’s faith and his relationship with Judy?
PATRICK WILSON: In terms of faith, I don’t think that’s ever wavered. That’s the thing with Ed that’s just pretty steadfast. I think he’s scared about his health issues after his heart attack. And certainly, for him as an old-fashioned guy, as a man dealing with his responsibility to his family and his wife, I think he struggles with that. He doesn’t want his health to be an issue. Personally, I think he wants to be out there. I think that keeps him alive, but he knows what that costs Lorraine.
VERA FARMIGA: But theirs is a great partnership, and they also know that they can’t do this without each other.
PATRICK WILSON: No, they certainly can’t. Ed’s just walking around the room, really. She could probably do it without him. Let’s be honest. But in terms of Judy, I think he’s super protective. He’s not clairvoyant. I don’t think he’s really been conscious of her budding ability and clairvoyance. I’m sure they’ve discussed it, but he can only empathize. He doesn’t know what that feels like.
So, he’s probably more concerned about Tony and her finding the right person, really. He’s much more practical, because he’s an old-school guy. And that’s fun, too. I always find that interesting to play someone who’s steadfast in their beliefs, in traditions and this moral code, and how he keeps that up. Especially when they’re at odds with each other.
How does all of this combine and bring them to this case?
PATRICK WILSON: Well, we reluctantly get involved with this one. We realize that our first goal is Judy. Lorraine figures out that she’s in trouble. We can’t find her and she’s gone rogue, I guess, for lack of a more eloquent term. She’s gone into this family’s home, who are in desperate need of help. Our priority is to her, unlike other movies where we’ve gone in and maybe even reluctantly helped. This is a much different story.
VERA FARMIGA: In all the other Conjuring films, Judy’s just not embraced her gift, and this is the first time that you see her explore it and not run from it. And as parents, raising a typical adolescent, you’re coaching her in ways to become a courageous and strong woman. But for Judy, there’s the whole other aspect of coaching her in her clairvoyance. Up until now, Lorraine has provided a way out of it for her, a way to diminish and tune it out, which has to do with breathing and mantras.
This is the first time that you see her taking control of her own steering wheel. And for Lorraine, in many ways, it’s like the last rites of maternity. It’s taking her hands off the steering wheel. They’ve been protecting Judy, movie after movie after movie. It’s that parental instinct that’s just ingrained into our psychological DNA.
PATRICK WILSON: To keep her away from this.
VERA FARMIGA: I mean, look, we’re both parents. We know this very well. There comes a point in your parenting journey where you realize that unless you’re willing to let your kids experience any measure of failure or disappointment, they’re not going to grow those life muscles.
They’re not going to grow the grit, the courage, the stamina or the resilience to thrive in their bigger life’s journey. And that’s what these two come up against. It’s a tough thing to do. Protecting your kid is part of the job description, but learning how to let go is what Lorraine’s really dealing with this time around.
How does it feel to be wrapping up this saga, knowing that these stories can
continue?
PATRICK WILSON: It’s very hard for me personally to kind of understand. It’s kind of hard for me to take in the moment. I mean, the nun was not a central character in the second film, and then suddenly, you’ve got two movies that are really successful and people love that character. I guess what I’m saying is you never know where this stuff is going.
And so, I’m excited and I hope it continues in some fashion for sure. But it might not be in ways that
maybe people expect. Is that weird? What do you think?
VERA FARMIGA: I’m just full of gratitude. I really am. This has been extraordinary and I’m proud. I’m proud of us. I’m proud of what this thing has accomplished, and yeah, it’s a good feeling.
The Conjuring: Last Rites is currently in theaters.
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