After the Pope dies of a heart attack, the College of Cardinals, under the leadership of British Cardinal-Dean Thomas Lawrence, gathers to elect his successor. The four main candidates are Aldo Bellini of the United States, a liberal in the vein of the late Pope; Joshua Adeyemi of Nigeria, a social conservative; Joseph Tremblay of Canada, a moderate; and Goffredo Tedesco of Italy, a staunch traditionalist.
Janusz Woźniak, the Prefect of the Papal Household, claims the late Pope demanded Tremblay's resignation on the night he died, which Tremblay denies, while Bellini tells his supporters his goal is to prevent Tedesco from becoming Pope. Meanwhile, Lawrence is surprised by the last-minute arrival of Archbishop Vincent Benitez of Kabul, who was secretly named cardinal one year earlier.[a]
On the day of the conclave, Lawrence gives a homily encouraging the College to embrace uncertainty, which some interpret as a declaration of his papal ambitions. No candidate gets close to the required two-thirds majority following the first ballot, though Adeyemi has a slight edge while Bellini and Lawrence split the liberal vote.
During the second day, Adeyemi takes a large lead, much to the chagrin of the liberals. Lawrence's assistant, Raymond O'Malley, learns the late Pope paid for Benitez's plane ticket to Switzerland for a medical appointment that was canceled. Following the third ballot, an incident between Adeyemi and Sister Shanumi, a Nigerian nun recently transferred to the Vatican, occurs in the cardinals' refectory. Shanumi confesses to having an illicit relationship with Adeyemi, which resulted in the birth of a son she gave up for adoption, thirty years prior. Though Lawrence is bound to keep the secret, a whisper campaign ends Adeyemi's candidacy. Bellini reluctantly decides to support Tremblay.
Despite being sequestered for the conclave, Lawrence enlists the help of Sister Agnes, the nun overseeing the cardinals' accommodation, who grants Lawrence access to a computer. Lawrence discovers that Tremblay arranged for Shanumi's transfer to the Vatican for the sole purpose of sabotaging Adeyemi's candidacy. When confronted, Tremblay claims he did so at the late Pope's request. Lawrence then breaks into the Pope's quarters and discovers documents indicating Tremblay committed simony. While Lawrence is searching the Pope's quarters, Sister Agnes sees the light on in the apartment and approaches, but she does not enter or pursue, implying she knows Lawrence is inside and agrees with his actions. Lawrence later confronts Bellini, who urges Lawrence to burn the documents. Lawrence concludes that Tremblay offered Bellini a position as Secretary of State in exchange for his support, which Bellini does not deny.
On the third day, Lawrence and Agnes reveal Tremblay's actions to the College, ending his candidacy. Bellini reconciles with Lawrence, telling him he is now the only person who can stop Tedesco. Lawrence reluctantly agrees, telling Bellini that he would want to assume the Papal name of John if elected. During the sixth ballot, a suicide bomber attacks Rome, killing many and damaging the Sistine Chapel, and knocking Lawrence to the floor after he has cast his vote. Tedesco angrily blames Islamists and relativism, calling for a religious war, while Benitez says violence should not be met with violence. The College overwhelmingly elects Benitez on the seventh ballot, and he chooses the Papal name of Innocent.
Though Lawrence is initially enthused, O'Malley informs him of the nature of Benitez's canceled medical appointment in Switzerland. When Lawrence confronts Innocent, Innocent reveals he is intersex, and that he was to undergo a laparoscopic hysterectomy at a Swiss clinic. He stated that growing up, he had been unaware that he was different from other men, until it was discovered that he had a uterus and ovaries during an appendectomy in his late thirties. He ultimately chose to keep his female organs, stating, "I am what God made me." Agreeing to keep the secret and entrusting that God divinely inspired the results, Lawrence listens to the crowds cheer Innocent's election.
Stanley Tucci as Cardinal Aldo Bellini, an American liberal. Bellini's previous failure to gain election despite being the early favorite is based on Carlo Maria Martini's experiences during the 2005 papal conclave.[8]
John Lithgow as Cardinal Joseph Tremblay, a Canadian moderate
The set designers took great care to replicate the Sistine Chapel, though they took some artistic license with the Domus Sanctae Marthae. They made their set more prison-like to enhance dramatic tension because they felt that the real version was rather dull. Costume designers visited Gammarelli, Tirelli Costumi, and several museums in Rome as part of their research. For the cardinals' red attire, costume designer Lisy Christl opted for a hue used in 17th-century cardinal vestments, rather than one from modern-day ones, believing it be "far more beautiful and far easier for our eyes".[13]
While writing the screenplay, Straughan said that he met with a Cardinal to discuss the logistics of the conclave. He also took a private tour of the Vatican, and said he did not feel hostility while there and felt that the Vatican had been open to him.[13]
Due to many characters sharing scenes in the film, Bertelmann chose to create themes for specific situations as opposed to themes for individual characters.[16] In addition, he had string players use a ricochet bowing technique.[14] In order to mirror the film's conflicting factions within the cardinals, Bertelmann sometimes incorporated polyrhythms, such as triplets against sixteenth notes.[14]
In November 2023, Focus Features acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[19] In July 2024, Conclave was announced as part of the Special Presentations section for the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival scheduled for September 8, 2024.[20][21] The film would subsequently be announced as part of the lineup for the Telluride Film Festival, where it had its world premiere.[22]Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera explained why the film did not play at Venice: "I didn't think it was a Competition film for Venice but I invited it Out of Competition. We tried to figure out timing for it to play here and at Telluride, which they also wanted, but we couldn't find the right dates and timing for it to work. We discussed various options but couldn't get the time that suited everyone. It's a shame."[23]
The film was released in the United States on 25 October 2024.[24] It was previously scheduled for a limited theatrical release on 1 November before opening wide on the following week.[25] It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November.[1]
Reception
Box office
As of January13,2025[update], Conclave has grossed $31.5million in the United States and Canada, and $44.9million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $76.4million.[3][4]
In the United States and Canada, Conclave was released alongside Venom: The Last Dance, and was projected to gross $4–6 million from 1,753 theaters in its opening weekend.[2] The film made $2.5 million on its first day, including $500,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $6.6 million, finishing in third;[26] The film is aimed at significantly older audiences, 77% of the demographic was over 35 years old, the biggest demographic group being over 55 at 44%, and 67% Caucasian.[27][28] The film then made $5million in its second weekend (dropping 23.7%)[29] and $4.1million in its third weekend (dropping just 18.1%), finishing in fourth and sixth place, respectively.[30]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 290 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.1/10.The website's consensus reads: "Carrying off papal pulp with immaculate execution and career-highlight work from Ralph Fiennes, Conclave is a godsend for audiences who crave intelligent entertainment."[31]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 79 out of 100, based on 54 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[32] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it an 84% overall positive score, with 62% saying they would "definitely recommend" it.[27]
The film's cinematography received praise.[33][34][35] The film's ensemble cast was also praised,[35][33] with Fiennes' and Castellitto's performances receiving particular acclaim.[34][36][37][38] The plot received some criticism,[39] with Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times calling it "a pretty thin and silly mystery ... that seems like it's deeper than it actually is."[40]IndieWire's David Ehrlich agreed that the film was "very silly but wonderfully staged ... even if the film might be a bit too convinced of its own dramatic import."[37] The Chicago Tribune's Michael Phillips praised the film's "delicious portraits in pursuit, deceit and evasion."[41]
Mark Kermode praised the film for its thoughtful and respectful portrayal of the papal election process. He highlighted the strong performances, particularly by Fiennes, and appreciated the film's ability to create suspense and intrigue without resorting to sensationalism. He also noted the film's nuanced exploration of the Catholic Church's future and its internal politics, which he found compelling and well-executed.[42]Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair said that the film rightly portrayed "both the seriousness of [the conclave] process and the campy ridiculousness of it," and thought that the film "touch[es] fingers with prestige greatness while keeping its feet firmly planted in the realm of rollicking entertainment."[43]Manohla Dargis of The New York Times noted that the film's stance towards the Roman Catholic Church mirrors Hollywood's own stance towards its film industry: "lightly cynical, self-flattering and finally myth-stoking."[36]
Lawson called the twist "reckless" and insufficiently thought through,[43] while Variety's Peter Debruge called it "one of the most satisfying twists in years, a Hail Mary that both surprises and restores one's faith (maybe not everyone's, but certainly that of the disillusioned)."[44]
John Mulderig of the Catholic OSV News opined that in Conclave, "rival viewpoints within the church are caricatured with a broad brush ... and the deck is predictably stacked in favor of those who advocate change." He warned that "all moviegoers committed to the church's creeds will want to approach this earnest, visually engaging but manipulative—and sometimes sensationalist—production with caution."[6] The Archdiocese of Los Angeles' Angelus magazine complimented several of the actors' performances but dismissed the film, writing that "The problem here is not that it is full of bias against the Catholic Church. The problem is that it is just plain bad. ... At the crucial moment, [Benitez] gives a speech so full of platitudes it could have been written by ChatGPT."[48] On the other hand, the progressiveNational Catholic Reporter praised the film, calling it "a compelling and ecclesial call for a renewed spiritual stewardship characterized by humility, meekness, and, curiously, doubt."[49]
Kate Lucky of Christianity Today, an evangelical publication, called the film "gorgeous" and "riveting", and said that "though the film subtly advances progressive convictions, it gives cardinals of all ideological persuasions equal opportunity to fall short."[50] Conversely, the Bishop of Winona–RochesterRobert Barron dismissed it as Oscar bait and termed it "a film about the Catholic Church that could have been written by the editorial board of The New York Times."[51]
↑ Under canon law, it would have been illegal for Benitez to attend, as in pectore appointments end with the Pope's death unless the Pope publicly announces the appointment. The novel attributes Benitez's presence to a recent change in the law, although the film does not mention the change.[6]
↑ In the Catholic Church, the title "Cardinal" goes between the titleholder's first and last names.[7]
↑ This award does not have a single winner, but recognizes multiple films.
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