'Conclave' Is the Political Thriller You Didn't Know You Needed

Ralph Fiennes oversees a taut exploration of a papal election that holds you spellbound

If you had told me at the beginning of 2024 that a movie about the papacy would be one of my favorite films of the year I’d have laughed. I’m what you call a “lapsed Catholic” and while I’ve seen my fair share of movies about the Church, I’d be hard pressed to say I’ve loved any of them. Not so with Edward Berger’s Conclave, a thrilling, fast-paced drama that plays with all the twists, turns and paranoia of a 1970s political film.

Berger’s film isn’t content with subtlety. It goes for big beats and big emotions, a stark contrast with a movie that should be about a group of men writing a name on a card. Elevated by fantastic performances by Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow, Conclave is for all those seeking a return to old-school filmmaking where performance and acting can do wonders for a formulaic narrative.

Based on Robert Harris’ novel of the same name, Conclave follows a group of Catholic cardinals tasked with voting for a new Pope. Led by Cardinal Lawrence (Fiennes), the film explores the various in-fighting and political machinations of various groups, all who hope to elect their established candidate.

There’s very little metaphor found within Berger’s film, starting from its opening moments wherein Cardinal Lawrence is brought to the chamber of the new dead Pope. Before the body is even cold, people are ripping the Papal ring off the dead man’s finger as booming drums and ominous strings play on the soundtrack. The Sword of Damocles isn’t just hanging over the heads of the characters but, as the film asserts, it’s hanging over the rest of the world.

There’s a timeless quality to Conclave, in that it feels like it could have easily been directed by Sydney Pollack in the 1970s. Or, hell, Sydney Pollack in the 1990s. The emphasis on ritual and ceremony within the Catholic Church is presented with all the pomp of any other type of political election, so it’s understandable that Berger and crew craft a movie filled with characters meeting in shadowy backrooms, smoking cigarettes in corners and telling others “don’t trust them.” You’d be fine to play this alongside Three Days of the Condor or The Parallax View.

Cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine is masterful with the camera, gracefully giving us sweeping God’s eye view aerial shots of the strategic planning that goes into the Conclave, from the red carpet being laid out on the terrazzo floor to the epic spread. Yet it’s contrasted with the air of high school politics, as the various cardinals separate into cliques based on the language they speak.

As Tucci’s Cardinal Bellini says, “No sane man would want the Papacy” and it’s the first lie told in a series of them that goes on for a breathlessly fast-paced two hours. Lawrence, a man deemed “the manager” of the group, isn’t just investigating who might be the best man for the role but how the lies everyone tells about not wanting the job informs their characters. Fiennes’ Cardinal Lawrence is either the humblest member of the group or the bigger liar and it is that duplicity that makes his performance all the more delicious as he tries hard to discover what happened in the death of the former Pope, as well as deal with how the conclave results play out.

This is a Master Class of acting, with various levels of superlative roles throughout. Fiennes is the fulcrum by which everyone walks around, but he’s far from the standout. Tucci’s Bellini, a Cardinal deemed to be the most progressive and able to usher the Papacy into the 21st century, is personable and warm, though his spine seems to be missing at every turn. Tucci brings such a level-headedness to the role. The audience wants to get behind Bellini, but is he able to rise to the occasion? John Lithgow brings the perfect level of backhanded Nice Guy energy as Cardinal Tremblay.

But the true MVP is icon Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes. Too often, religious dramas like this are male dominated because, Church. What Berger does so well is capture the whisper network that exists, both between the Sisters and the Cardinals, as well as the Cardinals of color against those who are white. In the case of Rossellini’s character, there’s such a hidden rage boiling beneath the surface. Rage at what the men do in this place to get what they want, and no doubt rage at what the Church has done because of the decisions of men like them. It’s a fantastic piece of acting and dammit give Rossellini the Oscar.

As previously mentioned, absolutely nothing is subtle about the film. If you think there’s an overt meaning about politics and religion today, you’re probably right. At a key point in the movie a bomb quite literally goes off, the sound mix blasting you out of your seats since the majority of the movie is so hushed. But even once that happens you’re so thoroughly engrossed in the machinations of what’s happening, coupled with the stray discussions about what’s happening outside the confines of the area, that it makes perfect sense.

Reviews for movies I love are the hardest ones for me to write, and writing about my love for Conclave is a challenge. That being said, it is such an interesting, impactful film that we need right now and, honestly, could have been pulled off 20 years ago to the same effect. And that sense of being able to play whenever only makes Conclave more intriguing to watch. It’s a compelling return to adult dramas that you should make time for.

Grade: A-