Edward Berger’s Conclave (2024) is an entertaining political thriller, and its ornate Vatican setting is a large part of why it works. The rituals give the plotting a rigid frame, so the election reads as a contest of nerves and ambition as much as one of doctrine. It is fiction built on researched ritual detail, not a guide to how popes are chosen, and the gap between the two is where most of the film’s debate lies.
What the film is
Based on Robert Harris’s 2016 thriller, the film follows Cardinal Lawrence, played by Ralph Fiennes. Focus Features describes him as responsible for running the papal election after the Pope’s death, and as he works through the gathered cardinals he uncovers secrets that could shake the Church. The production notes describe him as dean of the College of Cardinals, performing his traditional duty of running the conclave while confronting political intrigue, a mystery, and a crisis of faith.
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Conclave - Blu-ray + Digital | $10.04 | Buy on Amazon |
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![Conclave [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/414PViq6lZL._SL160_.jpg)
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Conclave [Blu-ray] | $17.61 | Buy on Amazon |
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CONCLAVE - BLU-RAY | $33.04 | Buy on Amazon |
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Conclave Blu-ray | Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow | Region B (Australia) | $20.87 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Da Vinci Code | Buy on Amazon |
Edward Berger directed, and Peter Straughan wrote the screenplay. The cast also includes Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Carlos Diehz, Lucian Msamati, Brían F. O’Byrne, Merab Ninidze, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini. The studio interview frames the story as a collision of political intrigue, personal ambition, and spiritual hope, and that is a fair description of what the film is trying to balance.
Why the setting sharpens the thriller
A political thriller depends on rules that the audience understands, and Conclave is built around one of the most formal institutions in the world. Every scene inside the enclosed conclave carries the weight of procedure, which means small moves, a whispered alliance or a closed door, register as significant. The ornate, tightly controlled look of the film makes that procedure feel like a pressure cooker, and the drama comes from people trying to act freely inside a structure that restricts them.
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- Genre: Mystery / Suspense
- Number of Discs: 1
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Playback Duration: 121
- Rating: PG
The film also makes its institutional argument clearly. TIME’s review calls the story “great fun” while emphasising that it is fiction, and reads its argument about the Church as a call for change. That is a critic’s interpretation rather than a factual conclusion, but it explains why the movie feels like more than a whodunit. Berger’s own framing in the production notes points the same way: “Can he still believe in this institution? Can he believe in the future? How can he regain his sense of purpose?” Those questions drive the character as much as the plot does.
Performance and critical reception
The critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes praises the execution and Ralph Fiennes’s performance, describing the film as entertainment for audiences who want intelligent thrills. Fiennes carries most of the weight, because Lawrence is the viewer’s guide through the process, and the film asks him to be both a procedural manager and a man privately troubled by what he sees. Critical praise for the lead is consistent across sources, but it is a summary of reviewers’ views rather than a measure of how any individual viewer will respond.
Rank #2
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What the film gets right and wrong about electing a pope
The film reproduces aspects of Vatican mise-en-scène, and AP’s expert reporting says the drama it builds around the period before the conclave is grounded in reality. William Cavanaugh, a Catholic studies professor at DePaul University, told AP: “They show that a lot of the drama is around the preconclave conversations among cardinals.” The film is not a documentary, though, and expert reporting identifies several places where it departs from practice.
| Element | In the film | What experts say |
|---|---|---|
| Ballot burning | Ballots are burned after each vote. | Ballots are burned after each session, typically after two votes, according to AP’s expert reporting. |
| Cardinals’ garments | A deep red, rendered as a bold Hollywood look. | Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest and Vatican expert, told AP: “The red in the cardinals’ garments was a deep red, while the reality is more orange. Frankly, I like the Hollywood version better.” |
| Length of the conclave | Tension builds across a drawn-out, dramatically charged process. | Massimo Faggioli, a historical theology professor at Villanova, says the modern history of conclaves is largely a story of short conclaves. This is historical context, not a prediction about any future election. |
None of these differences undermines the film as a thriller. They matter for viewers who come away thinking the movie explains how the Church actually chooses its leader, which it does not. Treat it as a dramatised version of the process with researched texture.
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Reading the novel alongside the film
Harris told AP that the screenplay “Very closely follows the book, which of course makes me pleased.” The novel, however, gives more space to Lawrence’s crisis of faith, to the other cardinals, and to previous conclaves. If the film left you wanting more of its characters’ interior lives or the historical background of the institution, the novel is the natural next step. Harris himself calls it further reading for people who enjoyed the film.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Viewing details
- Runtime: 2 hours (120 minutes), as listed by Rotten Tomatoes.
- Rating: PG for thematic material and smoking, as listed by Rotten Tomatoes.
- U.S. wide theatrical release: October 25, 2024; streaming release: November 26, 2024, both as listed by Rotten Tomatoes.
- Rental and purchase options are listed by Rotten Tomatoes through Fandango, and Universal maintains a home-entertainment page for the film.
Rental, streaming and regional availability change over time, so confirm where the film is currently offered before you watch it. The release dates above are historical listing facts, not current availability.
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Rank #4
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