Spoilers will hear your confession now.

Ah, religion. That conversation topic that must never be uttered in any reunion. This time we’re going to deep into the very heart of the Vatican as we witness a rather thrilling electoral proceeding for the highest seat of the Church. Yes, the Catholic one. I will first admit my bias here, as a lapsed, reluctant and rather critical former member. And yet, this is a mystery thriller. Let’s begin. No singing, please.

(Credit: Focus Features)

Conclave (2024) is directed by Edward Berger with a screenplay by Peter Straughan. It is based on the book by Richard Harris. The previous Pope has passed away. Now it falls to Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) in his office of Dean to lead the Conclave that will choose the new Pope. Cardinals from all over the world heed the call. Bellini (Stanley Tucci) seems to lead the new current of tolerance and acceptance while the more traditional Tedesco (Sergio Catellitto) calls for a return to the older ways. Lawrence and Bellini are reluctant but feel they can get more numbers if they support Tremblay (John Lithgow). And an unexpected last entry appears all the way from Afghanistan, Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz) seems to have been appointed by the Pope in secrecy.

As the Cardinals ready themselves to seclusion, Dean Lawrence learns of a secret meeting the late Pope had with one of the Cardinals. And this latest event sends Lawrence reluctantly into the discovering secrets and intrigues that can invalidate some of the top candidacies. There’s an obvious comparison to draw between the more conservative and liberal tendencies to the elections for other seats of power that you can’t deny.

It works rather well. You can sense the tension and the suspense as the votes are casted and counted. There’s a rather alien sense of the Vatican as the ceremony and the tradition seem to clash with the obvious strategy to attract numbers to elect the “right” candidate. Twists and reveals expose the more petty side of the Church as scandal is a factor that none of the Curia can ignore. That being said, at no point in time does challenging the norm ever questions the institution itself.

Solidly recommended with some reservations. Great performances from Ralph Fiennes and most of the cast. That being said, even at its harshest it only lightly touches on the failures of the Church, giving it a pass by highlighting the more tolerant aspects. How realistic is that depiction, we’ll never know. Worth a watch, although I’d keep any religiously close minded audiences at a distance.

That will do for now.