The Conjuring: Last Rites

My View: The Conjuring: Last Rites  (2025) R  The Conjuring: Last Rites is about Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), who, as renowned paranormal investigators, have taken on many a dangerous case. This time, they are confronting a demon they met before, and it may be the last case the Warrens ever take. I thought the first two films of the series were fun and scary rides, providing well-done horror that created a lot of tension throughout their stories. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for this (hopefully) final installment in the Warrens’ story of battling paranormal beings. The film is incredibly long and has far too much exposition, which hinders the story’s momentum, causes it to drag at a snail’s pace. There are many hints to our favorite scary doll named Annabelle, but it’s main focus is on a demon inside a mirror that gets pissed at the Warrens and vows revenge. I’m not sure demons hold grudges or vow revenge. Still, this one seems to be focused on the Warrens, especially on their daughter, Judy (Mia Tomlinson). This connection becomes evident almost immediately, yet Ed and Lorraine appear oblivious to it throughout the film. It seems that too many demon fights have slowed down the Warrens, and besides, in this film, they have retired because Ed is going to have another heart attack any minute. The scares are few and far between, overshadowed by family drama involving both the Warrens and the enormous family where that the mirror has taken up residence in. I got so annoyed by this large family with the kids running around everywhere that I was hoping something, anything, would happen to make them move out (which didn’t happen). The Conjuring: Last Rites is a lame, slow end to a horror series that started so promising. Maybe now, in real life, that comedian has bought the Warren’s collection, including the Annabelle doll, the scares can begin for real, because they weren’t in this film.  My Rating: Cable  The Conjuring: Last Rites Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide.

Indiefest:  Splitsville  (2025)   R  In Splitsville, Carey (Kyle Marvin) and his wife, Ashley (Adria Arjona), are not doing well, and Ashley tells Carey that she has been sleeping around and wants a divorce. Carey freaks out and runs to the house of his friend Paul (Michael Angelo Covino) and his wife Julie (Dakota Johnson). He tells them the news and discovers that Paul and Julie have an open marriage. Things are about to get either very interesting or very disturbing. If you liked the 2019 film The Climb (from the same team of Marvin and Covino), you going to love this film. I am a big fan of The Climb, about two friends where one keeps sleeping with the other’s girlfriends with very funny results. Splitsville is a full-out farce about love, relationships between both lovers and friends. There are a couple of absolutely hilarious fights, one of which, much to our delight, restarts just when you think it's over. Marvin and Covino have incredible chemistry together, and their interplay is so much fun to watch, as they joust over who is sleeping with whom. Adria Arjona’s character is the catalyst of the film, but she gets lost a bit as the focus shifts to the two guys and Dakota Johnson’s character. The star of the film is Johnson, who perfectly plays the serene Julie, who does a magnificent job of playing the object of the guys’ desire but gives both of them a lot of side-eye to their shenanigans. It’s a performance that could have been overplayed easily, but Johnson shows perfect restraint. So, see Splitsville and see who gets to end up with whom and why. It may surprise you.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Splitsville Website  Now playing in theaters.

Indiefest:  Twinless  (2025) R   Twinless is about two men, Roman (Dylan O’Brien) and Dennis (James Sweeney), who meet in a twin support group for siblings who’ve lost their twin. Together, they forge a unique friendship that fills a void in their lives, becoming inseparable in the process. However, everything begins to change when Roman meets Marcie (Aisling Franciosi), and the situation reveals itself to be more complicated than it initially appears. I enjoyed this film because it does an excellent job of combining topics of loss, grief, and guilt with lots of comedic and heartwarming moments. Twinless is a story of two lost souls that find friendship through loss, proving that opposites attract. What makes this film intriguing and dark is that it features a couple of twists that are both shocking and unexpected. James Sweeney as the shy Dennis and Dylan O’Brien as the hothead Roman make us believe that these two very different characters could become close as their friendship fills a void that both have. Aisling Franciosi is delightful as Marcie, who goes from being a work-friend of Dennis’s to a possible love interest of Roman, much to the dismay of Dennis. Twinless is a film that continually surprises you as you get immersed in their world as two individuals search for comfort and possibly more from each other.  My Rating: Full Price  Twinless Website   Now playing in theaters. 

Indiefest:  The Threesome  (2025)   R   The Threesome follows Connor (Jonah Hauer-King), who on one unbelievable night, ends up sleeping with not only the girl of his dreams, Olivia (Zoey Deutch), but also a new woman he just met, Jenny (Ruby Cruz). The only problem is that both women end up pregnant, and Connor doesn’t have a clue how to handle this situation. For those of you expecting a typical “follow the rules” rom-com, you will be surprised-- hopefully in a good way. I loved the dynamic between Connor and Olivia, which is fun, snappy, and touching. However, I will admit that Zoey Deutch does most of the heavy lifting in this film. Deutch perfectly embodies the fiery, quick-witted, and strong-willed character who doesn't always follow the rules or her heart. I thought Ruby Cruz, as the quieter yet also humerous Jenny, was fantastic in the role, able to play off of Deutch’s persona with ease. Jonah Hauer-King is a bit of a charmer, but there were times when I felt he was a bit of a weak link. The storyline is inventive and has some great twists and turns to keep you guessing about how everything and everyone is going to end up. Overall, The Threesome is a delightful take on the rom-com genre, making it an enjoyable watch.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee The Threesome Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  A Little Prayer  (2023)   R   A Little Prayer is about Bill (David Strathairn) and his wife Venida (Celia Weston), who live and work in Winston-Salem. His son David (Will Pullen) works at Bill’s business and lives out back with his wife Tammy (Jane Levy). Bill is concerned that his son is drinking too much, and then learns that David is having an affair with a co-worker. Can Bill help mend the troubled marriage between David and Tammy? A Little Prayer is anchored by the subtle and moving performances of David Strathairn and Jane Levy. Strathairn as the father who struggles to keep his family together, while Levy as the put-upon wife of David, who puts on a brave and positive face, but inside is being destroyed little by little. Strathaim plays Bill as a man who has made mistakes in the past and is trying his best to make amends by being the peacemaker in the family. Unfortunately, his family keeps falling apart, tearing itself from the inside, and there isn’t much that Bill can do. All Bill can do is what he thinks is best, even if it means that things might get even worse. Levy is moving as the woman who always puts on a show of being happy when we see her in moments alone, where the pain and hurt are evident on her face or in her actions, such as wandering off into the backyard alone or being awake in bed while her drunk husband sleeps it off next to her. A Little Prayer is a film about people who have scars that have never healed. These wounds won’t mend until drastic changes are made, and not everyone is capable of making those changes.  My Rating: Full Price  A Little Prayer Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Lurker  (2025)  R   Lurker starts when, while working in a retail store, Mathew (Théodore Pellerin) meets Oliver (Archie Madekwe), an up-and-coming pop star. To Mathew’s surprise, he becomes part of Oliver’s inner circle. However, this newfound access may come at a significant price—one that could be a matter of life and death. I had trouble with this film from the start because I never found myself liking or rooting for Matthew. Furthermore, I felt Oliver was a pompous ass from the get-go, as well. The film doesn’t quite know what it wants to be: a moody drama, a tense melodrama, or a suspense film. There is, of course, the subplot that addresses fame and how yes-men and women surround someone in Oliver’s position, and how to fit in; Mathew has to become one of them. However, I had a hard time believing how easily an awkward kid like Mathew made it into the inner circle and became Oliver’s personal documentary filmmaker. I wasn’t engaged in the story, and how it ends seemed too easy to come up with to try to shock us. And by the way, Mathew’s camera work is horrible: I can’t imagine sitting through an entire documentary created by him. It would be nauseating, unlike this film, which was just dull and unbelievable.  My Rating: Cable  Lurker Website Now playing in theaters

Forgotten Film:  The Pumpkin Eater (1964) Jo (Ann Bancroft) is a mother of five who left her 2nd husband, Giles (Richard Johnson), to marry a dashing screenwriter, Jake (Peter Finch), bringing her five children with her. At first, their marriage seems wonderful, but soon Jo feels abandoned as she is left to do the housework and raise the children alone. Things fall apart when Jo finds out that Jake is having multiple affairs and their marriage begins to unravel before her eyes. The screenplay is by Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter and directed by Jack Clayton, who was nominated for an Academy Award for the 1959 film Room at the Top. The Pumpkin Eater was made during a time when adult audiences were accustomed to stories featuring characters in their 30s and 40s, unlike today's emphasis on teens and young adults. Forget the horrible title of the film and some of the outdate 1960s settings, and marvel at how good an actress Ann Bancroft is. She won her second Academy Award for this role, delivering a moving and brilliant performance. There is a literal knock-down, drag-out fight between Bancroft and Finch that is hard to watch; it is so realistic. The Pumpkin Eater is a film about a woman who is struggling to find happiness, faced with the choice of settling for less or moving on once again.    My Rating: Full Price  The Pumpkin Eater Info  The film is available on Tubi and Amazon Prime

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Conjuring: Last Rites:  Costume Cutter

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:  Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale  (2025)  PG  In Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, the household is on the brink of social disgrace with Mary (Michelle Dockery) in the middle of a very public divorce and the family facing financial ruin. The Crawleys will have to embrace change if Downton Abbey is to survive. This is the third and final film of the series. There will be a small tribute in the film to the late Maggie Smith.  Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Website  In theaters on Friday, September 12, 2025.

Until Next Time!