The Conjuring: Last Rites includes plenty of references to previous films in the franchise, as well as other popular horror movies. For the past 12 years, ever since the release of the first movie in the Conjuring franchise, viewers have followed Ed and Lorraine Warren throughout their careers as paranormal investigators, but Last Rites may very well be their last case.

In Last Rites, Ed and Lorraine encounter a demon that has been following them since the very beginning of their careers, making it one of the franchise’s most personal movies yet. By the end of The Conjuring: Last Rites, viewers will be on the edge of their seats as they watch Ed and Lorraine fight for the vulnerable Smurl family, as well as their own daughter and her fiancé.

Reviews for The Conjuring: Last Rites have been somewhat mixed, but there are definitely tons of terrifying moments in the movie. As the potential final movie, it also honors previous films in the franchise, as well as the entire horror genre. Therefore, here are thirteen Easter eggs and references in The Conjuring: Last Rites:

Ed & Loraine Warren Speak About Annabelle During A Lecture

Ed and Lorraine Warren conduct a lecture near the beginning of The Conjuring: Last Rites, during which they bring up Annabelle, who has been a major villain in the franchise. The possessed doll even received three of her own spinoff movies and is very popular with audiences, so it’s not a surprise that she played a role in the movie.

Ed and Lorraine speaking about their work in a lecture is in and of itself a callback to the first Conjuring movie. However, unlike the one in the first film, which featured a lot of interesting audience members, practically nobody attends their lecture in Last Rites. This proves that people have somewhat lost interest in Ed and Lorraine’s work over the years.

Annabelle Still Haunts Judy In The Conjuring: Last Rites

In addition to being mentioned in Ed and Lorraine’s lecture, Annabelle has a surprisingly prominent role in The Conjuring: Last Rites. Early in the film, Judy Warren sees Annabelle on the rocking chair in her childhood bedroom. Then, later in the movie, a giant Annabelle chases Judy down the hallway of the Smurl’s house.

Annabelle has haunted Judy ever since the first film in the franchise. Her prominent role in Last Rites suggests that Annabelle’s story may continue in future Conjuring movies, despite her being locked in a glᴀss case in the Warrens’ museum. Perhaps she will escape once again and continue to haunt Judy in a future movie.

Students Reference Ghostbusters During Ed & Loraine’s Lecture

During Ed and Lorraine’s aforementioned lecture, a couple of students refer to them as Ghostbusters, referring to the iconic 1984 comedy/horror film starring Bill Murray. Ghostbusters is not nearly as scary as any of the Conjuring movies, but it is still an incredibly influential film.

However, since Ghostbusters has more of a lighthearted tone, Ed Warren doesn’t appreciate the comments. This scene prove that Ed and Lorraine aren’t respected by some and often get mocked by those who don’t believe in the paranormal.

A Poster Of John Wayne Merges The Horror & Western Genres

Near the beginning of the movie, Janet Smurl is doing laundry in her dark basement when she hears a noise to her left. As she slowly walks towards the light switch, it appears that a man is standing in the corner of the basement. However, when she turns the light on, it is revealed that she was just looking at a poster of John Wayne dressed as a cowboy.

Wayne is an iconic movie star who led the cast of several western films, such as True Grit, The Searchers, and How the West Was Won. Nobody ever would have been able to guess that Wayne would show up in a Conjuring movie, but this reference creates an unexpected connection between the horror and western genres. Wayne was an incredible actor, so it’s great to see The Conjuring: Last Rites honor him.

Brad Hamilton From The First Conjuring Movie Returns In Last Rites

At Ed’s birthday party, Tony speaks with Brad Hamilton, who was a supporting character in the first Conjuring movie. Brad was a police officer who ᴀssisted the Warrens while they tried to help the Perron family. In The Conjuring: Last Rites, Brad even mentions the Rhode Island investigation and points out a scar on his cheek, which happened in the first film.

Despite being an entertaining character in the first movie, Brad did not appear in the second or third Conjuring films. Therefore, it’s great to see him return in Last Rites, even if he only has a minor role. His inclusion also helps connect Last Rites to the movie that started the entire franchise.

The Real Judy & Tony Appear In The Conjuring: Last Rites

The real Judy Warren and Tony Spera also have cameos during Ed’s birthday party. While the real Ed and Lorraine Warren have both pᴀssed away, their daughter and son-in-law are still alive and have been able to see the story of their family get told across multiple movies.

In real life, Judy Warren is currently 79 years old. Unless you know what Judy and Tony actually look like, it’s very easy to miss them during this scene. However, it’s cool that they were both able to be included in The Conjuring: Last Rites, especially since the story of the movie focuses on their relationship quite a bit.

Jack Smurl Floating Above The Bed References The Exorcist

Since they can’t afford to go anywhere else, the Smurl family are trapped in their haunted house. One night, Jack is just about to go to sleep when he spots the demon at the end of his bed. He quickly gets possessed and starts floating in the air.

The visuals of this scene are incredibly reminiscent of Regan floating above her bed in The Exorcist, which is arguably one of the best horror movies of all time. Director Michael Chaves referenced The Exorcist a lot in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and he continues that trend in the franchise’s latest movie.

Heather Smurl Sitting In Front Of The TV References Poltergeist

While her father floats above his bed, Heather Smurl goes downstairs and watches a videotape from her birthday party. She sits in front of the family television set and seemingly spots a demon blowing out her candle in the video. Her sitting in the dark right in front of a TV seems to reference Poltergeist, a popular horror movie from 1982.

In Poltergeist, ghosts communicate with several children through a television set. Obviously, the demon isn’t actually communicating with Heather during this scene in The Conjuring: Last Rites, but it still seems like Chaves wanted to evoke the feeling of watching Poltergeist.

Blood Pouring Out Of The Sink Is Reminiscent Of The Shining

While washing dishes, Lorraine finds her locket, which features a picture of Judy, in her sink. Upon picking it up, she sees that the sink is now full of blood. The sink quickly starts to overflow and blood pours into the kitchen, forcing Lorraine to back away as it rushes towards her.

This is reminiscent of an iconic scene from The Shining, during which blood pours through the hallways of the Overlook H๏τel. This is one of the most memorable visuals from Stanley Kubrick’s influential horror movie, so it is great to see Chaves pay homage to it in The Conjuring: Last Rites.

The Axe-Wielding Ghost Attacks Just Like The Shining’s Jack Torrance

Speaking of The Shining, one of the ghosts in The Conjuring: Last Rites wields an axe while haunting his prey, just like Jack Torrance. In Last Rites, Lorraine explains that the Smurl’s home was built on farmland that used to be the home of a man who went insane and murdered his wife and her mother with an axe.

Minus the mother, this backstory seems to be inspired by The Shining. In Kubrick’s movie, which is based on Stephen King’s novel, Jack Torrance loses his mind and tries to kill his wife with an axe. Chaves previously referenced The Shining in the third Conjuring movie by having Ed wield an axe, so this detail definitely seems purposeful.