In a religious film centered around the election of a new pope, director Edward Berger incorporates numerous angles in “Conclave,” released in Oct. 25, such as wavering faith and political and cultural differences. 

The film consists mainly of the campaign for the new head of the Catholic Church, led by Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) who serves as the Dean of the College of Cardinals. He is thus in charge of the conclave, the assembly of cardinals for the election of a pope, which is the sole plot line of the film. 

Berger uses the election setting to convey themes of identity and belonging. The movie starts with the numerous cardinals meeting to begin the election. The most popular candidates are Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), Cardinal Trembley (John Lithgow), Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) and Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto). 

The film’s basis is centered around identity, specifically race and culture. The candidates are all white except Adeyemi and Cardinal Tedesco uses his Italian heritage to appeal to the more conservative of the cardinals. 

The process of the election takes place throughout the entirety of the film. This causes the film to falter and lack depth. The sole plot point is the result of the election, which by the end of the film doesn’t pay off in the way you would expect it too to, after using the entire run time. The setting also, never changes, consisting only of the estate in which the election takes place in the Vatican City. It would have been interesting to see the backrounds of the lead characters to better understand their actions later in the film

Due to a lack of substance, the film comes off as one-dimensional. On the other hand, the performance by lead actor Ralph Fiennes certainly raises the overall entertainment level of the film.

Fiennes’ portrayal of Cardinal Lawrence develops during the course of the film as he must navigate the troubles that arise within the Church, resulting in a wavering of his faith as well as his own insomnia and grief of the late Pope. 

Due to his versatile performance, he commands a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 2025 Oscars. 

“Conclave” also is nominated for Best Music (Original Score) composed by Volker Bertelmann. The score reflects the tone and vibe of the election, as the film progresses, it frantically picks up pace as chaos ensues in the church. 

All in all, “Conclave” is a mediocre film, led by a talented cast, headed by Oscar-nominated Fiennes as well as solid performances by Tucci and Lithgow. Due to these performances as verious producing awards, “Conclave” is nominated for eight awards at the 2025 Oscars. However, the film does lack a certain flair and complexity when it comes to the overall plot, but in some cases, a simplistic style film can work. However, it doesn’t necessarily work here. 

“Conclave”

2 hours

Rated PG

Directed by Edward Berger

Starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow