The Conjuring: Last Rites Ending Explained – Who Is the Mirror Demon?

Conjuring: Last Rites Recap & Ending Explained – Does It Close the Series Right?

"Don’t look at it."
"She’s with us."
"Today’s the day."

You know that feeling when a horror franchise makes one last push to haunt your soul—and just when you think it's out of tricks, it slips one more demon under your bed? The Conjuring: Last Rites isn’t just another chapter. It’s the Warrens’ last case, a twisted loop of mirrors, memory, and grief that tries to give closure to the most beloved ghost-hunters in horror history.

And while it doesn’t completely stick the landing, it’s got enough weight—emotionally and thematically—to make the final curtain call feel earned.

Let’s break down what really happened, what the mirror demon is, and where the franchise might go next.

📖 A Final Case, But Not the End

Set in 1986, Last Rites pulls a semi-retired Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga, still electric) back into the field when a haunted mirror resurfaces in a Pennsylvania home—the same mirror that once marked Judy’s birth with a brush of the supernatural.

That’s right: this is personal. And not in the “we’re getting too old for this” way.

The mirror has history, going back to a 1964 case that nearly killed Lorraine during childbirth and left a permanent spiritual scar on Judy, their daughter. Now it’s surfaced again—gifted to a teenage girl in another family, the Smells—and the haunting begins anew. The kicker? The mirror doesn’t just reflect evil...

It multiplies it.

👿 The Mirror Demon: Access Over Fame

Where Valak had iconography and Bathsheba had history, the mirror demon is something new—and terrifyingly subtle. It doesn't care about being known. It thrives on being seen, but not understood. It mimics. It hides. It twists.

Its abilities:

• Shape-shifting (often into loved ones or fears)
• Possession (especially of children)
• Psychic negation (disrupting Lorraine’s visions)
• Reflection-based teleportation (yes, it literally moves through mirrors)
• Command of local spirits (using ghosts like chess pieces)

But what’s most disturbing? It has no name. That’s not just a lore trick—it’s a tactic. It avoids definition. Because to name it is to frame it, and this entity’s whole strategy is about slipping through the cracks.

👨‍👩‍👧 The Heart of the Film Is the Family

Let’s be clear—this isn’t just the Warrens’ swan song. It’s Judy Warren’s origin story.

She’s inherited her mother’s psychic ability and grown up in a world where every hallway might hold a ghost. Now an adult and engaged to Tony, she’s drawn back into a confrontation that was never really finished—her own birthright as a haunted soul.

In the climax, it’s not a priest, not a spell, not a relic that saves the day.
It’s Judy’s refusal to give the demon power:

"You’re not there."

It’s denial as exorcism. A spiritual boundary, not a holy one.
A moment of self-claiming. And it works.

⚰️ What Does the Ending Mean?

The Good Ending:

• The mirror is shattered.
• The demon is banished.
• The Warrens retire, finally.
• Judy gets married.
• The artifact room gains one last cursed item.

But if you’ve been following The Conjuring series, you know the quiet doesn't last forever.

What's Next?

• Warner Bros. is already developing a Conjuring TV series with James Wan producing.
• There’s talk of Judy Warren taking the lead, potentially passing the torch.
• A prequel to Valak is reportedly in development too.

🌟 Land of Geek Rating: 7.3/10

A heartfelt farewell with powerful performances and rich callbacks to earlier films—but weighed down by less-inspired direction and a villain that never fully gets fleshed out.

✅ Pros

• Strong emotional core, especially with Judy’s arc
• Great callbacks to the original Conjuring lore
• Mirror demon is creepy and conceptually cool
• Outstanding performances (as always) from Farmiga & Wilson
• The mirror as an object? Legit terrifying

❌ Cons

• Lacks James Wan’s sharp, escalating horror direction
• The rules of the demon are vague, even by Conjuring standards
• Some emotional beats feel unearned or rushed
• Weak handling of Father Gordon’s death
• Too much exposition, not enough escalation

🪞 Final Reflection

The Conjuring: Last Rites doesn’t reinvent the haunted house wheel—but it does crack it open and hold up a mirror to the real horror: losing yourself, your family, and your faith in the fight against darkness.

It's not the scariest entry. It's not the best made. But it might be the most personal, and in a franchise this big, that's no small feat.

Whether you're here for the scares or the spiritual journey, this is a closing chapter worth opening. Just... maybe don’t look too long into the glass.

Want more horror deep dives, lore breakdowns, and endings explained? Stay haunted (in a good way) with us at Land of Geek Magazine.