Conclave: A Review

BY COREY MILLER

The definition of Conclave is a private or secret meeting, though the word is primarily associated with the meeting of the Cardinals to elect a new Pope. Directed by Edward Berger and written by Peter Straughan, “Conclave” is about the chaos that occurs when the Cardinals are sequestered (not in contact with the outside world) and elect a new Pope. In the first scene, it is immediately established that there was a connection between Cardinal Lawrence and the now deceased Pope as he looks over at the “Holy Spirit’s” body lying on his deathbed. Through clever, ominous, and tense music nearly playing throughout, Edward Berger gives the audience a sense of secrecy and panic already foreshadowing events later to come.

Cardinal Lawrence, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, is played by the star of the movie, Ralph Fiennes who was nominated for Best Actor in the 2025 Academy Awards. Fiennes’ character is the leader of the sequestering, specifically at the former Pope’s request. What makes “Conclave” so intense are the sides that are taken amongst the Cardinals to determine who will be the next Pope. On the liberal side, you have Cardinal Lawrence, Cardinal Bellini, (played by Stanley Tucci), and Cardinal Benitez (played by Carlos Diehz). These Cardinals are fighting for change within the Catholic Church in the form of a more accepting Pope. On the traditional/conservative side, you have Cardinal Tremblay (played by John Lithgow), Cardinal Goffredo (played by Sergio Castellitto), and Cardinal Adeyemi (played by Joseph Mydell). The conservatives are fully entrenched in the past as they hope to keep the Church’s religious convictions intact. This plot was well set up as it made the movie more of a nail-biter at each vote where the audience sees which Cardinal has the most support for the title of the next Pope.

Aside from voting, the activities that occur between the votes are what prove to be most intriguing since it is those secretive interactions that influence the next vote. The audience can feel a sense of panic and uncertainty in the air throughout the film, highlighted by two confrontations between Cardinal Lawrence and Cardinal Tembley. Peter Straughan produces a clever side plot involving Cardinal Trembley attempting to sabotage Cardinal Adeyemi’s support, which results in both losing their votes. Much of this movie shows how the process of selecting a new Pope can be as corrupt as anything you might see in American politics today. It is unclear at this point in the movie who the next Pope will be, but it shows how one rumor can send a Cardinal’s votes plummeting.

Towards the end of the movie Straughan has Cardinal Goffredo, a man who believes the next Pope must be Italian, give a speech explaining how The Church is at war with the Muslims and how he will act against them to prevail. What was clever about this scene was how Cardinal Benitez then responds to Cardinal Goffredo words but in a softer and more gentle tone. This showed the dynamic and distinct types of personalities between these two. Earlier in the movie, it is discovered that Cardinal Benitez, who was initially unknown to the other Cardinals, was appointed a Cardinal by the Pope but kept it a secret because of the dangerous, anti-Christian area, Afghanistan, where he served. Cardinal Benitez’s speech ultimately helps him win the next vote and become the new Pope. Everything up until this point I had found to be brilliantly written, though the way the movie ended felt slightly over the top.

Once elected, it was brought to the attention of Cardinal Lawrence that Cardinal Benitez had recently almost undergone a controversial surgery. When confronted by Cardinal Lawrence, Cardinal Benitez admits that he was born as a male, but with a uterus. It is also uncovered that the Pope knew about Benetiez’s condition and kept it quiet. We already knew from who the Pope’s closest allies were, Lawrence and Bellini, that he was an open-minded leader, however the stance he took with Benitez, and making sure that he would be in a position to take part in this conclave leads you to believe that the Pope would’ve fully endorsed this selection. I get that Benitez’s condition really emphasizes the radical shift in the Church Straughan was going for. The point had already been made simply from Benitez’s words of kindness and love for all. Overall, “Conclave” was worthy of an Oscar Nomination thanks to its incredible cast and writing.