The Conjuring franchise is closing its decade-long run with Last Rites, a film rooted in one of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s most disturbing real-life investigations. Set in 1986, the story unfolds five years after ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return for the final time as the famous demonologists. In the film, the Warrens consider retirement, but their plans shift when a Pennsylvania family pleads for help with a violent supernatural presence determined to destroy them.
Is The Conjuring: Last Rites Based on a True Story?
Yes. The final chapter is inspired by the Smurl family haunting in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. In 1986, Jack and Janet Smurl reached out to the Warrens after suffering for over a year of unexplained and terrifying events in their home.
What Happened to the Smurl Family?
Jack and Janet Smurl moved into their duplex in 1976 with their children. Life was ordinary until 1985, when a ceiling light fell and injured their daughter Shannon. This marked the beginning of nearly 18 months of alleged paranormal torment.
The Smurls reported blood-curdling screams, foul odours, and violent assaults. Their dog was thrown against walls, their daughters were shoved down stairs, and Jack claimed he was sexually assaulted by a demonic entity.
“Up until a year ago, I thought that these types of things only happened in movies,” Jack told Lorraine Warren in 1986. “I wasn’t really a believer.”
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What happened to the Smurl Family after the Haunting?
After failed exorcisms, the Smurls went public, appearing on Live TV shows. The case gained national attention, leading the Warrens to intervene.
Eventually, Rev Joseph Adonizio claimed that “intense prayers” drove the violent entities from the home. By 1988, the family relocated to Wilkes-Barre.
The Smurls’ story was published in ‘The Haunted: One Family’s Nightmare’ in 1986 and later adapted into a 1991 TV movie. Jack Smurl died in 2017 at age 75. His daughter, Carin, later told the Pocono Record, “We had such a hard time and nobody to turn to. He was happy I was a voice out there for people who need help.”
The West Pittston house was sold in 1987, with later residents reporting no paranormal disturbances.
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ brings one of the Warrens’ darkest cases to the screen, closing a series that has terrified audiences for over a decade. The film releases on September 5, 2025.
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