Entertainment

Now Playing: The Conjuring Last Rites

Quite incoherent and underwhelming for a grand finale

Still: Warner Bros. Pictures

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The thing about film franchise finales is that they can either become a film series’ climactic finish or just another plain entry.

As with The Conjuring universe’s final entry (of phase one — they’re going to make more movies, apparently), Last Rites, the film leaned towards the latter.

It wasn’t a total letdown. Arguably, there were gripping scenes, particularly throughout the final act.

But still, it lacked the punch expected of a grand finale, given how it has been marketed (remember, it even had the slogan “Prepare for the end” all over its promotional materials).

⚠️ Some spoilers ahead! ⚠️

A potent central conflict was there but…

Still: Warner Bros. Pictures

The supernatural case The Conjuring: Last Rites focused on the real-life alleged haunting of the Smurl family.

For a brief background, the Smurls complained of unnatural disturbances. These included noises, temperature drops, their daughters being pushed by this entity down a flight of stairs, and even more disturbing claims.

Some of these were seen throughout the film, albeit with some tweaks. Janet Smurl was the one thrown off the stairs. Their pet dog was also thrown off a wall while their daughter Dawn vomited blood.

In another scene, Heather was about to blow out her birthday cake candles but “someone” else pre-emptied it. Jack Smurl was also lifted off of his bed in another scene.

In real life, the Smurls claimed these occurrences happened for years and years. Then they finally sought the help of the Warrens in 1986.

The callbacks were nice, but the film could have easily built upon such central conflict, given how intense this demon causing such disturbances sounded. In a vacuum, these were all spine-tingling in the movie.

And as portrayed, the demon easily burned a crucifix and mind-controlled Father Gordon into committing suicide. Pardon the use of MCU terms, but this entity was easily an Avengers-level threat.

However, instead of a chilling story and flowed from start to finish, we kind of got a mediocre finale to a film series that has spanned 12 years.

Execution was lackluster

What was clear throughout the film is that the lack of execution was evident. Even if this was based on a true story, the filmmakers still had the room to alter parts here and there. Infusing more elements or go with a certain direction could have made the entire story more cinematic.

As with previous films, Last Rites used a conduit object to present the demon, in the form of an antique mirror with carved figures. This was shown right from the get-go, when a pregnant Lorraine Warren in the 1960s had to investigate it.

Still: Warner Bros. Pictures

This mirror would find its way back into the Warrens’ lives several years later when it was revealed to have been in the Smurls’ home.

Lorraine would reveal later during the film’s final phase that the demon using the mirror was also controlling three more spirits.

I would have personally loved for a backstory for these three characters, even if it was just brief. The scary farmer, in particular, was reduced to just a cameo, chasing Lorraine at the basement of the Smurls’ residence.

As it was mentioned that there was an affair, perhaps having these spirits call for help by manifesting themselves throughout the film would have added another layer to the central conflict.

Still: Warner Bros. Pictures

Questionable pacing, unnecessary runtime

Given the poor execution, we got a pacing that was clearly off throughout a film that was two hours and 15 minutes long.

We got a bunch of random jump scares instead, from the toy doll at the Smurls’ home to another during the scene when Tony Spera, Judy Warren’s would be husband, was driving.

I would have loved to have seen more desperation from the Smurls from the get-go — that they had sought for help with more sense of urgency.

As scary as they were, the disturbances felt randomly presented. They didn’t pack a punch. Again, that’s given how intense this demon actually was.

Too much human aspect?

Still: Warner Bros. Pictures

Interspersed throughout were the more human aspects of the Warrens. It was established that the Warrens didn’t want to take any more cases as they were focused on retirement.

There was Ed Warren’s birthday celebration, along with the introduction of ex-policeman Tony Spera as Judy’s future fiancé.

These scenes showed Ed and Lorraine simply as supportive parents, instead of demonologists. There were also the couple’s tour, giving out lectures to schools.

However, these did contribute to a longer runtime. Such parts were also conversation-heavy, and arguably, could have been reduced or condensed to give way for the central conflict.

To be fair, we did get a vibe that the demon was not going to stop at any cost in letting the Warrens live their peaceful post-paranormal investigation lives, given the eventual marriage of their daughter Judy.

It just should have been presented more convincingly that this was what the demon was really after, and not just wreaking havoc inside the Smurls’ West Pittston, Pennsylvania home.

Or perhaps, Vera Farmiga’s Lorraine, given her clairvoyance, could have warned the newly-engaged couple of the danger that is about to come. That’s since the demon wouldn’t let them enjoy a happy ending.

Defying the ‘last rites’

In reality, it’s quite clear that the Warrens kept their daughter Judy away from their professional endeavors. Perhaps, it’s this premise that the filmmakers tried to be faithful to.

That’s because throughout the movie, you could only see a Judy that was constantly scared of the unknown. She kept chanting the locket-in-the-pocket lullaby to avoid seeing things.

Even the fictional Lorraine would tell her daughter she would never be ready for what her parents have been doing for decades.

Make no mistake, there were parts of the movie wherein Judy was insistent and showed the will to help her parents.

If there was just room for more creativity, it would have made sense for a scene involving Judy head-on against the demon.

The fact that Judy was supposed to be stillborn yet managed to survived implied she had some sort of powers, or that she was chosen. Besides, it was the movie’s title to begin with.

More buildup perhaps

Still: Warner Bros. Pictures

Or, it should have been shown in greater volume that the demon was constantly going after Judy. That’s to get even with the Warrens but for Judy, it was to defy the “last rites”.

This would have presented some sort of dilemma as well and giving the Warrens the predicament to balance investigating what’s going on with the Smurls with trying to protect their only child.

Also mentioned was Ed’s heart attack risk. The demon did target this vulnerability too through a possessed Judy briefly.

To the final act’s credit, it was obvious that Judy still was the weakest link, and the demon pounced on this. That checks out with the paranormal logic established in the film series universe and even in reality.

Eventually, all three Warrens beat the demonic mirror together, with Lorraine telling Judy to stop running away from the situation.

It’s not that there wasn’t a buildup as we saw problems from the Warrens’ dinner to Judy trying out a wedding dress at the boutique.

But Lorraine kept being vague about “something wrong/isn’t right” when we knew the mirror found a way back into their lives. I find it hard to believe she didn’t know beforehand that it has always been about the demon going after Judy.

More of a tribute

Still: Warner Bros. Pictures

It’s pretty obvious that the end was a symbolic passing of the torch to Judy. And in real life, she did put up her own paranormal agency together with Tony.

So was Ed tossing the keys to Tony during one of the final scenes in the artifact room.

You can understand that the film was also a tribute in a way. Hence, there was the iconic Annabelle doll, though it arguably was a useless cameo.

Naturally, the wedding scene also paved the way for some of previous characters to appear in celebration of the entire film series.

Quite incoherent for a finale

But ultimately, as a standalone film, The Conjuring: Last Rites was incoherent. As I’ve kept mentioning throughout this article, it lacked what we expected for a grand finale.

That’s given everything already established in The Conjuring universe with respect to paranormal logic.

Should you watch it? Just to pull up our glorious managing editor’s Watch Scale again:

  • Watch ASAP
  • Watch at your convenience
  • Wait for crowd/ hype to trickle down
  • Wait on streaming
  • Skip

The Conjuring: Last Rites is between the second and third bullet points. It wasn’t totally boring but also underwhelmed for what is supposedly a slam-banging finale.

Make no mistake, the scare factor was constantly there. You know, if you’re specifically looking for an ample dose of fright with companions inside a theater.

Entertainment

Street Fighter movie unveils official trailer

In cinemas October 14th

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Courtesy: Paramount Pictures

The official trailer for the Street Fighter movie has been released, along with new posters. The film hits cinemas starting October 14.

An unreleased version of Tupac Shakur’s “Ambitionz Az A Ridah” is among the trailer’s highlights. This song was created for Mike Tyson in the 1990s.

The 2-minute, 46-second clip opens with Noah Centineo’s Ken Masters and his dynamic with Callina Liang’s Chun-Li.

It also highlights more of the human side of Ken Masters, as well has his vulnerabilities before the lead up to the tournament.

The clip’s tone then changes to a more action-packed sequence featuring the film’s other cast members in their battle forms.

The trailer concludes climactically with fireballs from both Ken and Andrew Koji’s Ryu. As previously mentioned, the Street Fighter movie is set in 1993, when Ken and Ryu are recruited by Chun-Li and thrown into combat.

This World Warrior Tournament is a brutal clash of fists, fate, and fury, with a deadly conspiracy lying beneath.

Directed by Kitao Sakurai and based on the Capcom video game franchise, the movie also stars:

  • Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoai as Akuma
  • David Dastmalchian as M. Bison
  • Cody Rhodes as Guile
  • Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki
  • Eric André as Don Sauvage
  • Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim
  • Orville Peck as Vega
  • Olivier Richters as Zangief
  • Hirooki Goto as E. Honda
  • Rayna Vallandingham as Juli
  • Alexander Volkanovski as Joe

They are joined by Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson as Balrog, who also go a lot of screen time in the official trailer. Rounding out the cast is Jason Momoa as Blanka.

Watch the official trailer here:

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Now Playing: Lee Cronin’s The Mummy

A demonic possession film re-skinned. Or should I say Mummy-skinned?

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Lee Cronin's The Mummy

I had fun with Lee Cronin’s The Mummy. It’s a visceral, unadulterated, gory thrill ride. But is it a good film?

A missing child, Katie, is found after being away for years. Her disappearance has left visible cracks within the family. With unresolved grief and tensions lingering just beneath the surface, Katie returns home. It forces them to confront everything they have long been avoiding – grief, guilt, loss, and a sense of identity. The film unfolds like a haunted house horror. It’s centered on a family fighting to restore normalcy as something darker begins to threaten them.

A hollow myth dressed as horrorFamiliar story, borrowed mythology

Cronin adopts a family-centered narrative to ground its horror. This approach lends the story a sense of universal familiarity and understanding. It anchors the supernatural elements and visceral horror with real and intense emotions. With its overly simplistic – and often overused – storyline, however, it just feels flat.

The characters’ emotional turmoil never fully takes off – much like possessed-Katie levitating in her wheelchair, hovering only a few feet off the ground. It never moves beyond the superficial depth established within the first 30 minutes.

It leans closer in spirit to The Awakening (1980). There, possession and reincarnation rituals functioned as surface-level devices rather than being deeply rooted in a meaningful exploration of Egyptian mythology.

At its core, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy plays less of a mythology-driven monster and more like a possession story dressed in Egyptian iconography.

Mythology without meaning

The filmmakers admit that “the history was reshaped and reality was twisted to accommodate the plot.” It was evident in the film’s scattered use of Egyptian references. This choice of hand-grabbing random Egyptian influences – symbols, language, incantations, and ritualistic imagery – and piecing them together to fit the storyline, rather than allowing them to coalesce into a fully realized mythological system, feels weak at best and a cultural disservice at worst. 

As a result, the narrative falls back onto the familiar Western possession logic, rather than anything distinctly Egyptian or genuinely original.

Visually rich, emotionally thin

Cronin’s style is immediately evident even just from the opening scene. The strong domestic-centered storyline, textured and visually striking environment, and composition, as well as detailed set pieces. If anything, the film itself resembles the 3,000-year-old sarcophagus Katie got trapped in. Intricate and aesthetically compelling, yet ultimately hollow inside.

It closely follows the Evil Dead Rise (2023) formula, but Evil Dead has an already established system and identity. Its lore is clear and carries its own magic, appeal, and nostalgia hit. It leaves little need for expansion beyond creating strong, compelling characters. That’s something Cronin’s The Mummy still struggled to deliver.

Between terror and unintentional comedy

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is visceral and gory – which is “fun” to some, myself included. I had fun when Katie’s possession escalates to her digging through the ceiling, crawling upside-down. There’s also mauling whatever and whoever she comes across, while her infected sister was also escalating in her own way, smiling dementedly at their parents with a set of teeth that wasn’t hers. THAT was FUN. 

Some moments felt like deliberate dark humor. Like when a scarab beetle attack forces the detective to pinch her vocal cords back together so she can recite a ritual. Her later return, still speaking in a permanently hoarse voice and her snarky demeanor intact after recovering, was both ridiculous and hilarious.

The movie, however, doesn’t fully commit to that tone. At times, I found myself wondering whether these moments were unintentionally funny due to the typical horror logic. Where everyone has to be inexplicably, well, stupid – rather than a deliberate choice. 

While certain lines, such as the famous scene with possessed-Katie saying, “Don’t worry, grandma, it’s fun being dead!” suggest an intent to lean into a self-aware campy route. The film’s inconsistent tone renders the execution awkward and forced. Theatre experience reflects this tonal inconsistency; rather than laughter, the audience mostly responded with collective screams during meaningless jump scares.

Lee Cronin's The Mummy

Fun for some, frustrating for others

Casual viewers and those easily horrified will find the film effective and entertaining. Particularly in a group viewing experience with friends. Its easy-to-understand story has proven to be a widely effective formula. As seen with the widespread success of co-producer James Wan’s The Conjuring and Insidious franchises.

Dedicated horror fans, particularly those who enjoy visceral gore, will find much to appreciate. The film distinguishes itself through a sustained sense of dread. It creates tension as a perpetual baseline, keeping viewers constantly on the edge of their seats. Director Lee Cronin, with his signature brutality, punctures this baseline by masterfully interspersing intense violence, delivering a visceral, almost tactile horror experience. These bursts, along with the escalating violence, reinforce the film’s relentless intensity, creating a physically overwhelming atmosphere. While the first half occasionally leans toward shock value for its own sake, the later escalations serve a crucial narrative function: cathartic release. 

The more critical viewers, however, are more likely to find the improperly explored mythology and mish-mashed lore, paired with a lack of narrative depth, ultimately not worth their time.

As for me, I fall somewhere between the critical viewer and the horror fan. While I am filled with disdain for the formulaic narrative and the reskinned possession approach, my love for the genre and for Cronin’s brand of violence keeps me from fully writing this movie off.

Entertaining, but forgettable

Ultimately, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is a visually striking, visceral thrill ride that struggles to justify its own existence beyond surface-level scares. 

Its strongest moments stem from Cronin’s command of tension and brutality. While it succeeds in delivering a physically overwhelming experience – turning gore into a form of cathartic release. It falters when asked to sustain emotional depth or offer a coherent mythology.

Yet, despite its tonal inconsistencies and formulaic narrative, the raw energy of its horror moments makes it a flawed but undeniably entertaining ride. One that satisfies on an immediate, sensory level, while offering little that endures beyond. It may not be a masterpiece of the genre, but for those willing to overlook the lack of substance, it offers enough “gory-fun” to satisfy the itch for a good physical scare and visceral release.

This outcome is particularly poignant given Cronin’s own philosophy on the project. Having turned down a sequel to his successful Evil Dead Rise to work on The Mummy and reclaim the horror of the IP, he famously noted, “When you make a movie, you have to take risks because it might be your last chance to do it.” In the end, however, I find that Cronin did not take enough risks with this one. 

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Prime Video unveils Philippine slate: More originals, licensed titles

1st ever local slate announcement graced by stars

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Prime Video unveiled seven Filipino Prime Original series and more licensed and exclusive content to look forward to during the streaming platform’s first-ever local slate announcement in the market.

Additional titles are likewise coming to Prime Video — including new Korean shows — as well as the live broadcast of the NBA Playoffs and Finals 2026.

The launch event was graced by some of Philippine showbiz’s best stars, like Jericho Rosales, Marian Rivera, Sharon Cuneta, Barbie Forteza, Kim Chiu, Joshua Garcia, Angelica Panganiban, Zanjoe Marudo, Ivana Alawi, Janine Gutierrez, and more.

The lineup marks a significant expansion of Prime Video’s investment in the Philippines. This includes collaborations with network giants ABS-CBN and GMA, for premium storytelling that spans drama, politics, suspense, romance, crime, and comedy.

Part of the slate available on Prime Video are:

  • Linlang
  • Saving Grace
  • The Silent Noise
  • Love Is Never Gone
  • The Loyalty Game
  • Honor Thy Mother
  • Kopino
  • Behind Closed Doors

A new season of Last One Laughing Philippines, featuring Vice Ganda, will also be available soon.

Meanwhile, these exclusive licensed Filipino films are joining the lineup:

  • Samahan ng mga Makasalanan
  • Gabi ng Lagim
  • Bayaniverse trilogy: Quezon, Heneral Luna, Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral
  • Bar Boys: After School
  • Open Endings

Global hits, K-dramas, and anime titles available or soon to be on the streaming platform include:

  • The Boys
  • Fallout
  • The Summer I Turned Pretty
  • GOOD BOY
  • Marry My Husband
  • A Love Other Than Yours
  • Final Table
  • Nine to Six
  • Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
  • Demon Slayer

Viewers can avail of a Prime Video subscription for as low as just PhP 149/month — a great value given all the local and foreign content available to stream on the platform.

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