Warning: Contains major spoilers for The Conjuring: Last RitesThe Conjuring: Last Rites acts as a much more cinematic interpretation of the true story of the Smurl family haunting, but there are a number of key details that the movie omits. Each of the Conjuring movies chronicles a different real-world paranormal investigation from the Warrens’ case files, with the Smurl family haunting coming towards the tail end of their careers as investigators.

While only a select few of the Warrens’ investigations yielded any kind of supposed confirmation of legitimate paranormal activity, the Smurl family haunting is among them. The Conjuring: Last Rites takes a lot of liberties with the reports from the Warrens and the Smurls, most notably by introducing a new demon that invades the home via a cursed mirror.

As much as the movie embellishes and elaborates, there are a number of key details from the real haunting that it doesn’t include. In each Conjuring movie, creative liberties are taken to speed up the timeline, ratchet up the terror, or exaggerate the Warrens’ involvement. That’s certainly the case for The Conjuring: Last Rites, which aims for a more intense cinematic experience over accuracy.

The Smurls Dealt With Paranormal Activity For Years Before They Called The Warrens

In The Conjuring: Last Rites, no specific timeline is given between the first paranormal occurrence and the Warrens’ involvement, but it’s clearly within just a few months. None of the Smurl children age at all, and it’s heavily implied that the bulk of the haunting occurs on the same timeline as Judy’s engagement, as the reappearance of the cursed mirror triggers her increasingly intense visions.

In reality, the Smurl family moved into their West Pittston house in 1973, and experienced paranormal phenomena as early as 1974. The Warrens didn’t wind up visiting the Smurl house to investigate until 1986. The movie depicts the Smurls’ experiencing a series of increasingly brutal and terrifying moments over a short timeline, when really it was a number of minor occurrences for a majority of the time.

The Conjuring: Last Rites also significantly alters the circumstances of the Warrens’ involvement with the Smurls. In the movie, they appear to be loosely “retired” from investigations as a result of Ed’s heart condition, and their friend and ally Father Gordon, who entered the Smurl home himself, urged them to help the family.

They were still resistant to the idea, until their daughter Judy traveled to the Smurl home herself. Once they chased her down, they realized the dire nature of the haunting, and in an effort to protect the family and their daughter they agreed to help to whatever extent they could.

In reality, the Smurl family did reach out directly to the Warrens to have them investigate, as the Warrens were well-known by that point due to their history of high-profile investigations. Per the New England Society for Psychic Research, the Warrens’ own organization, it was upon entering the house that Lorraine Warren was able to conclude that the home was dealing with four different enтιтies.

Jack And Janet Smurl’s Encounters Were Reportedly Much More Intense

The Conjuring: Last Rites depicts plenty of ultra-terrifying encounters between the Smurl family and the enтιтies plaguing their home. However, it omits or at least heavily alters the experiences of Jack and Janet Smurl in particular.

Both of the Smurl parents reported being Sєxually ᴀssaulted at some point by the enтιтies, with Janet claiming to have been molested in her sleep by one of them. Jack, on the other hand, claims to have been raped by what Lorraine Warren would interpret as a succubus, a demonic enтιтy that seduces men.

In the movie, Jack’s experience is loosely translated to a form of paralysis and levitation, with any Sєxual ᴀssault occurring off-screen (the movie focused on the emotions and pain in his face for the scene). Janet Smurl also reportedly was picked up and thrown across a room at one point during the haunting, which is not directly depicted in the movie.

The Warrens Did Nothing To End The Paranormal Activity

Perhaps the biggest real-world element that The Conjuring: Last Rites omits is the fact that it was not the Warrens who eventually rid the home of the dangerous specters. The Warrens were indeed called to investigate, and reportedly experienced and chronicled a series of paranormal encounters. They later collaborated with Jack and Janet Smurl on a book describing their collective experiences.

The Smurl family reportedly had three attempted exorcisms executed on the property, each of which failed to have any impact on the haunting. However, there has been debate over whether that’s accurate, as the Catholic Church reportedly never formally sanctioned any exorcisms.

Eventually, it was a local priest, Reverend Joseph Adonizio, who ultimately was able to banish whatever enтιтies tormented the Smurl family later in 1986. In lieu of a full exorcism, Adonizio was able to subdue the evil enтιтies via the power of “intense prayer” and little else.

The Smurl family would still experience minor occurrences after Adonizio ended the haunting, including mysterious knocking and disembodied shadows moving around the house. The Conjuring: Last Rites obviously exaggerates the Warrens’ involvement for the sake of including the narrative around their daughter and the mirror demon, which certainly makes sense as the supposed final movie in the franchise.