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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIf you want to move from Conclave to films about Pope Francis, start with Pope Francis – A Man of His Word for Francis speaking about his ideas, or The Two Popes for a dramatized story inspired by his relationship with Benedict XVI. For fictional Vatican stories, try Habemus Papam or The Young Pope. These works offer different ways into papal life, but none is a full account of the 2025 conclave.
Choose by what you want to watch
| Title | Format and connection to Francis | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Pope Francis – A Man of His Word (2018) | Documentary centered on Francis | His views and priorities, presented directly |
| The Two Popes (2019) | Biographical drama about Benedict XVI and the future Francis | Accessible dramatized context; its private conversations are imagined |
| Call Me Francesco – The People’s Pope (2015) | Biographical film and miniseries about Jorge Mario Bergoglio | A life-story treatment, from youth in Argentina to his election |
| Francesco (2020) | Documentary following Francis’s apostolic journeys and reflections | A documentary route into his public work and global concerns |
| Francesco – Election of a Pope from the End of the World (2013) | Documentary about Francis’s election | Previously unseen images and interviews with cardinals, as described by Rai News |
| Il nostro Papa (2019) | Documentary using testimony and archival images | A view of Francis and his pontificate |
| The Letter (2022) | Documentary; further details are not established here | Consider it if you want another documentary option, but check a current listing for its subject and availability |
| Todos, todos, todos! (2026) | Vatican News retrospective using archival footage | A concise look back at Francis’s pontificate |
| Habemus Papam (2011) | Fiction about a newly elected pope who cannot take up the office | Personal crisis and the burden of the papacy |
| The Young Pope (2016) | Fictional series about Pope Pius XIII, also known as Lenny Belardo | An imaginative, stylized drama about papal power |
| The Shoes of the Fisherman | Older fictional film based on Morris West’s novel | A screen story of papal succession amid political circumstances |
The documentary descriptions of several older titles come from Rai News’ 2025 editorial roundup; the fictional recommendations draw on descriptions from Rai News and Cadena SER. Those guides provide useful orientation, not a guarantee of current streaming access.
If you want Pope Francis himself
For his words and ideas: Pope Francis – A Man of His Word
Wim Wenders’ 2018 film is the most direct choice if you want to hear Francis address the subjects that mattered to him. Vatican News describes it as a personal journey with Francis rather than a conventional biography. Its direct-to-camera approach touches on poverty, social justice, immigration, ecology, inequality, peace and family. Vatican News also quotes Francis’s wish: “How I would like a Church which is poor and for the poor!”
For a dramatized relationship: The Two Popes
Anthony Hopkins plays Benedict XVI and Jonathan Pryce plays the future Francis in this 2019 drama. Netflix describes it as exploring the Church’s role in the modern world through the relationship between the two pontiffs. It is inspired by their real relationship, but the private conversations are imagined: treat it as dramatization, not a transcript or documentary record. Netflix Tudum currently says the film is available on Netflix; streaming catalogs vary by territory and can change.
#1 Best Overall
For a biographical or retrospective view
- Call Me Francesco – The People’s Pope (2015) is a biographical film and miniseries about Jorge Mario Bergoglio, from his youth in Argentina to his election, according to Rai News.
- Francesco (2020), by Evgeny Afineevsky, follows Francis’s apostolic journeys and reflections on global issues, as listed by Rai News.
- Francesco – Election of a Pope from the End of the World (2013), by Fabrizio Stinellis, focuses on Francis’s election and is described by Rai News as including previously unseen images and interviews with cardinals.
- Il nostro Papa (2019) uses testimony and archival images to look at Francis and his pontificate, according to Rai News.
- Todos, todos, todos! (2026) is Vatican News’ 27-minute retrospective, released for the first anniversary of Francis’s death. It uses archival footage and is available on Vatican News platforms with Italian, Spanish and English subtitles. Vatican News sums up the pontificate with the sentence, “Having received mercy, let’s now become merciful.”
Rai News lists The Letter (2022) among documentaries about Francis, but the available description provides no further detail. Check the film’s own listing before choosing it based on a particular topic.
If you want Vatican fiction after Conclave
Habemus Papam: the office as a personal crisis
Nanni Moretti’s Habemus Papam (2011) imagines a newly elected pope who cannot assume the office and the Vatican’s response to his crisis. Rai News describes it as dramatic and ironic; Cadena SER notes its humor. It is a fictional story, useful if you are more interested in the human burden of becoming pope than in Francis’s biography.
Rank #2
The Young Pope: a stylized portrait of papal power
Paolo Sorrentino’s 2016 series centers on fictional young Pope Pius XIII, whose name before election is Lenny Belardo. Its highly controlled portrayal of papal power is deliberately imaginative, not a history of Francis or a factual account of Vatican governance.
The Shoes of the Fisherman: an older succession story
Based on Morris West’s novel, this older film follows an Eastern European pope elected amid political circumstances, according to Cadena SER. It offers another fictional screen treatment of papal succession, rather than a guide to a real conclave.
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Rank #3
Conclave itself, released in 2024, is a political thriller about a secretive process to select a pope after the incumbent’s death, with Cardinal Lawrence leading the process, according to Focus Features. Its story is fiction; it should not be treated as a factual account of the 2025 conclave.
A practical viewing order
- The Two Popes — begin with an accessible dramatization of the relationship between Benedict XVI and the future Francis, while keeping its imagined conversations in mind.
- Pope Francis – A Man of His Word — move from dramatized context to Francis’s own public reflections.
- Todos, todos, todos! — add a short archival retrospective if you want a concise look back at his pontificate.
- Habemus Papam or The Young Pope — finish with fiction about the personal weight or power of the papal office.
If you want reflective Catholic-culture cinema
Vatican News’ archive for the Dicastery of Evangelization’s Jubilee film initiative names Fallen Leaves, Perfect Days, Silence and La Chimera among its selected films. They are not biographies of Francis or conclave dramas; treat the list as an institutional recommendation for broader film viewing, not an objective ranking.
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