Plot: “When Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with leading one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic Church.” -IMDB

Review: Conclave doesn’t waste any time getting to the event that has rocked the Catholic Church. The Pope is dead, and a system of intense tradition is already in motion. As Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) makes his way to the Pope’s chambers with urgency, you will notice something that will become a recurring theme throughout this film. Natural sound and the music behind each scene are used brilliantly to draw you in and force your attention on the screen.  

The second thing that you may notice about this film is that it feels familiar. For fans of the Netflix series, House of Cards, you will find a friend in this story. As fellow Cardinals Bellini (Stanley Tucci), Tremblay (John Lithgow), Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), as well as a cast of potential leaders, vie to ascend to the church’s highest position, politics and scandal seep into one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events. With the introduction of each new character and the subsequent challenges that might stifle their ascension, your intrigue will grow.  

Quickly, you will notice the dividing lines mirror the real world. Beyond obvious lines of language and region, the Cardinals are divided into liberal and conservative factions. Long-debated issues, such as a woman’s role in the church, LGBTQ+ membership, and child abuse scandals, force every Cardinal to carefully consider the direction of the church.  

We spend much of the film watching Cardinal Lawrence do his best to manage these factions while limiting the impacts of the outside world. Secrets, scandal, diabolical forces, and moments of unspeakable violence are fully felt within the hallowed walls of the conclave. Every man in this collection has a history that could be potentially damning for the church. Every man is motivated by their own selfish ambitions and ability to persuade others. As they debate and whisper in dark corners, they are fundamentally trying to answer a simple question. What is the church? Depending on how one answers that question, where they land in their selection of a new papacy is revealed. On paper, this can all sound mundane and procedural, but I assure you that the level of human drama here is much more enthralling than that.  

As a non-Catholic, I found this story to be a deeply fascinating and intriguing world to enter. I also found the tradition alluring. Most of this film feels like a political convention. Any passive-watcher of American politics will find this familiar and approachable. What centers and grounds this story, and makes it worth seeing, is the human element. These men are not without faults, yet from their ranks, they are trying to select God’s representative on Earth. As a selection is finally made, a new world is revealed, and a new debate begins. For my money, the twist at the end felt perfectly conceived and wonderfully controversial in the most powerful way possible.  

Be good to each other,

Nathan

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