Director Michael Chaves’ latest film, The Conjuring: Last Rites, released in 2025, tells the story of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s last case, the Smurl haunting. Filmed in London, the movie mixes real-life events and explores the Warrens’ faith and love for one another that helped them overcome the darkness, with Chaves himself going from a skeptic to a believer during the shoot.
This case, set in the late 1970s in Pennsylvania, involved the Smurl family being terrorized by a powerful demon. The family reported a series of disturbing incidents, including unexplained noises, foul odors, physical attacks on family members and the dog, doors closing, and toilets flushing on their own. These sinister events led the family to reach out to Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators famous for their work with haunted houses and demonic spirits. Lorraine Warren had been able to see auras around people ever since she was seven or eight years old. Meanwhile, Ed Warren grew up in a haunted house, which led him to become a self-taught demonologist. As the Warrens arrived, they encountered an overwhelming dark force. During the span of this time, Ed and Lorraine Warren were pushed to their limits; it challenged both their faith and skills. The investigation took a heavy toll on them and required the use of various religious practices, such as blessings and exorcisms, combined with Lorraine’s psychic abilities and Ed’s expertise in demonology. Regardless of all the darkness they experienced, their faith and love for one another helped them through their darkest moments. They gave one another the courage to confront evil and bring hope to those in need.
The Smurl haunting is often called “the case that ended it all” because it was one of Ed and Lorraine’s most challenging investigations. This case tested the Warrens’ physical, mental, and spiritual limits like never before. After the Smurl investigation, the Warrens began to take a step back from public investigations and soon retired. This marked the end of their careers. Ed Warren died on August 23, 2006, and Lorraine Warren passed away on April 18, 2019. Despite their deaths, they left a powerful legacy that no one can forget.
