Conclave (film)

Last updated

Conclave
Conclave film poster.jpg
US theatrical release poster
Directed by Edward Berger
Screenplay by Peter Straughan
Based on Conclave
by Robert Harris
Produced by
  • Tessa Ross
  • Juliette Howell
  • Michael Jackman
  • Alice Dawson
  • Robert Harris
Starring
Cinematography Stéphane Fontaine
Edited by Nick Emerson
Music by Volker Bertelmann
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • August 30, 2024 (2024-08-30)(Telluride)
  • October 25, 2024 (2024-10-25)(United States)
  • November 29, 2024 (2024-11-29)(United Kingdom)
Running time
120 minutes [1]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million [2]
Box office$105.1 million [3] [4] [5]

Conclave is a 2024 political thriller film directed by Edward Berger and written by Peter Straughan, based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris. The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini. In the film, Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes) organises a conclave to elect the next pope and finds himself investigating secrets and scandals about the major candidates.

Contents

After premiering at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2024, Conclave was released in theaters in the United States by Focus Features on October 25 and in the United Kingdom by Black Bear UK on November 29. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances, directing, screenplay, and cinematography. The film has grossed over $105 million worldwide on a $20 million production budget.

Conclave was named one of the top ten films of 2024 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. [6] Among other accolades, it won four awards at the 78th British Academy Film Awards—the joint-most of the evening—for Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing. It also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast. At the 97th Academy Awards, it received eight nominations, including Best Picture, and won Best Adapted Screenplay. [7]

Plot

After the pope dies of a heart attack, the College of Cardinals, under the leadership of its dean, Thomas Lawrence of the United Kingdom, convenes to elect his successor. The four leading candidates are Aldo Bellini of the United States, a progressive; 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 that 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 winning the papacy. Meanwhile, Lawrence is surprised by the last-minute arrival of Archbishop Vincent Benitez of Kabul, whom the pope named cardinal in pectore the previous year. [a]

On the first day, Lawrence gives a homily encouraging the college to embrace uncertainty, which some interpret as a declaration of his papal ambition. No one obtains the required two-thirds majority, though Adeyemi has a slight edge and Bellini and Lawrence split the liberal vote. Monsignor Raymond O'Malley, Lawrence's assistant, discovers the pope paid for Benitez's plane ticket to Geneva for a canceled medical appointment.

On the second day, while breaking for lunch, the college witnesses a confrontation between Adeyemi and Sister Shanumi, a nun recently transferred to Rome from Nigeria. Lawrence privately speaks with Shanumi, who confesses to an illicit relationship that led to the birth of a son. Adeyemi further confirms Shanumi's story when pressed. Though Lawrence is bound to secrecy, a whisper campaign derails Adeyemi's candidacy. Bellini reluctantly decides to back Tremblay.

Working with Sister Agnes, the nun overseeing the cardinals' accommodations, Lawrence discovers Tremblay arranged for Shanumi's transfer. When confronted, Tremblay claims he did so at the pope's request. Lawrence then breaks into the pope's quarters and finds documents indicating Tremblay committed simony by paying cardinals for votes. He shows the documents to Bellini, whose plea not to reveal their existence sparks an argument.

On the third day, after revealing Tremblay's actions, Lawrence reconciles with Bellini and agrees to stand against Tedesco. He votes for himself during the sixth ballot, which is interrupted by an explosion that knocks him to the floor and damages the Sistine Chapel. The college discovers the explosion was part of a series of suicide bombings throughout Europe. While Tedesco calls for a religious war against Islam, Benitez states his belief that violence should not be met with violence and chastises the cardinals for focusing on politicking over their religious mission. The college overwhelmingly elects Benitez on the seventh ballot, and he chooses the papal name of "Innocent".

Lawrence is initially enthused until O'Malley pulls him aside to discuss Benitez's canceled appointment. He confronts Benitez, who reveals he was born with a uterus and ovaries but was unaware of their existence until an appendectomy. The appointment was for a laparoscopic hysterectomy that Benitez decided against because he believes he is "what God made" him. Lawrence wanders the Vatican grounds, listening to the crowds cheer Pope Innocent's election, before returning to his bedroom, opening the window, and watching a trio of nuns in the courtyard below.

Cast

Production

It was announced in May 2022 that Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini were set to star in the film, with Edward Berger directing. [9] Additional casting was announced in January 2023 as production began in Rome. [10] Filming also took place at Cinecittà. [11] Filming concluded in March. [12]

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 the scarlet one from modern-day ones, believing it be "far more beautiful and far easier for our eyes". [13]

While writing the screenplay, Peter 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]

Music

German composer Volker Bertelmann composed the score to Conclave, his fifth collaboration with Berger. In an interview with IndieWire , Bertelmann discussed developing a sound that was neither "too ecclesiastical [nor] classical", leading to experimentation with lesser-known instruments. As a result, much of the score makes use of the Cristal Baschet, a crystallophone played using wet hands. [14] A similar approach was used for Bertelmann's score for Berger's All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), where a harmonium was used. [15]

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]

Release

In August 2022, Black Bear Pictures' newly founded British distribution arm acquired U.K. distribution rights to the film from FilmNation Entertainment, serving as one of its first acquisitions and maiden releases in the United Kingdom; Black Bear's company Elevation Pictures also serves as Canadian distributor. [17] Steven Rales served as one of the executive producers, co-financing the film via his production company, Indian Paintbrush. [18]

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 8 September 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 March 5,2025, Conclave has grossed $32.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $72.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $105.1 million. [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 viewers were over 35 years old, with the largest demographic group being those over 55 at 44%, and 67% identifying as Caucasian. [27] [28] The film then made $5 million in its second weekend (dropping 23.7%) [29] and $4.1 million in its third weekend (dropping just 18.1%), finishing in fourth and sixth place, respectively. [30]

Critical response

Ralph Fiennes 2024.jpg
Isabella Rossellini at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (cropped).jpg
Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini garnered critical acclaim for their performances and earned Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 93% of 296 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 and ensemble cast were widely praised; [33] [34] [35] [33] however, some criticism was met for the plot, [36] 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". [37] 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". [38] The Chicago Tribune 's Michael Phillips praised the film's "delicious portraits in pursuit, deceit and evasion". [39]

Mark Kermode praised the film for what he saw as a thoughtful and respectful portrayal of the papal election process. He highlighted the strong performances, particularly by Fiennes, and said that the film created suspense and intrigue without resorting to sensationalism. He also noted the nuanced exploration of the Catholic Church's future and its internal politics, which he found compelling and well-executed. [40] 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". [41] 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". [42]

Lawson called the final twist "reckless" and insufficiently thought through, [41] 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)". [43] Otosirieze Obi-Young, writing for Nigerian magazine Open Country Mag , argued that the portrayal of Adeyemi is problematic for playing into stereotypes of black men being sexually aggressive, and that "Sexual abuse ... has become, in the last few decades, the defining moral damage of Western Catholicism, yet the ahistorical vision of Conclave pins that responsibility not on a cardinal from any of those Western countries but on its sole black African papabile." [44]

Filmmaker Alexander Payne named it one of his favorite films of 2024, saying: "You just can't believe how riveting it is – funny and suspenseful and so well-cast and well-acted. Berger has the miraculous quality of making something you never forget is a movie, but at the same time, it's as though you're actually there." [45] Other filmmakers, including Oliver Stone, Kelly Fremon Craig, Adam Elliot, Coralie Fargeat, Tim Fehlbaum, Hannah Fidell, William Goldenberg, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Savanah Leaf, Laurel Parmet and Paul Schrader, also lauded the film, particularly the performances of the cast. [46] [47]

Religious response

The progressive National Catholic Reporter praised Conclave, calling it "a compelling and ecclesial call for a renewed spiritual stewardship characterized by humility, meekness, and, curiously, doubt". [48] 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". [49] Writing for the Catholic Herald , Miles Pattenden considered that the film "lacks the subtlety to explore [Church politics] inventively" despite some "exquisite moments", notably the performances of Sergio Castellitto and Rossellini. He also criticised its "lack of historical awareness", noting that questions concerning voting eligibility at conclaves and intersex clergy were "nothing new to the Church". [50]

John Mulderig of the Catholic OSV News said about Conclave that "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". [51] The Archdiocese of Los Angeles' Angelus magazine praised several of the actors' performances but ultimately dismissed the film, writing: "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." [52]

The Bishop of Winona–Rochester, Robert 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 ". [53] Sean Fitzpatrick of The Catholic World Report agreed with Barron's criticisms, while also criticizing the writing of Benitez's intersex status, opining that the statement "I am what God made me" is a common yet flawed argument. [54]

Social media influence

Following the film's release, several outlets noted the film's presence on social media and within meme culture. [55] [56] [57] Memes comparing the film to RuPaul's Drag Race and The Real Housewives appeared on Twitter, while other users created fan cams, including ones set to pop musicians such as Charli XCX. [55] Online comparisons were also made to media such as Mean Girls , while the "elimination" of the various papal candidates was compared to reality television shows like Survivor or The Bachelor. Also noted were memes comparing the characters in the film to real life figures such as Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the two major candidates in the 2024 United States presidential election, which took place days after the film's U.S. release. [55] Many of these outlets took note of the apparent contradiction that a film that "might be [for] retired folks catching a weekday matinee" was popular in meme culture. [57]

Real-life parallels

In late February 2025, the 88-year-old Pope Francis became very ill and was hospitalized. [58] Philiana Ng of TheWrap observed, "The cast of Conclave celebrated their ensemble win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards[,] but acknowledged the real-life parallels to the movie – which chronicles the secret process of electing a pope – amid Pope Francis' current health crisis. 'We are very, very worried for our pope', Isabella Rossellini told reporters[;] '[w]e love this pope – Papa Francesco, Pope Francis. We wish him well. We wish him to recover.'" [59]

Accolades

AwardCeremony dateCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
AACTA International Awards 7 February 2025 Best Actor Ralph Fiennes Won [60]
Best Supporting Actor Stanley Tucci Nominated
Best Screenplay Peter Straughan Nominated
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards 8 February 2025 Best Picture ConclaveNominated [61]
Best Director Edward Berger Nominated
Best Actor Ralph FiennesNominated
Best Supporting Actor Stanley TucciNominated
Best Supporting Actress Isabella Rossellini Nominated
Best Screenwriter Peter StraughanNominated
Academy Awards 2 March 2025 Best Picture Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Michael A. JackmanNominated [62]
Best Actor Ralph FiennesNominated
Best Supporting Actress Isabella RosselliniNominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter Straughan Won
Best Original Score Volker Bertelmann Nominated
Best Editing Nick Emerson Nominated
Best Production Design Production Design: Suzie Davies
Set Decoration: Cynthia Sleiter
Nominated
Best Costume Design Lisy Christl Nominated
Alliance of Women Film Journalists 7 January 2025Best FilmConclaveNominated [63]
Best DirectorEdward BergerNominated
Best ActorRalph FiennesNominated
Best Actor in a Supporting RoleStanley TucciNominated
Best Actress in a Supporting RoleIsabella RosselliniWon
Best Adapted ScreenplayPeter StraughanWon
Best Cinematography Stéphane Fontaine Nominated
Best Editing Nick Emerson Nominated
Best Ensemble Cast and Casting DirectorConclaveWon
American Cinema Editors Awards 14 March 2025 Best Edited Feature Film (Drama, Theatrical) Nick Emerson Pending [64]
Artios Awards 12 February 2025 Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Feature Studio or Independent Film (Drama) Nina Gold, Martin Ware, Francesco Vedovati, Barbara GiordaniWon [65]
Astra Film and Creative Awards 8 December 2024 Best PictureConclaveNominated [66]
Best Adapted ScreenplayPeter StraughanNominated
Best ActorRalph FiennesNominated
Best Cast EnsembleThe cast of ConclaveNominated
8 December 2024 Best CastingBarbara Giordani, Nina Gold, Francesco Vedovati and Martin WareNominated
Best Film Editing Nick Emerson Nominated
Best Production DesignSuzie DaviesNominated
Austin Film Critics Association 6 January 2025 Best Film ConclaveNominated [67]
Best Actor Ralph Fiennes Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter StraughanNominated
Best Ensemble ConclaveNominated
British Academy Film Awards 16 February 2025 Best Film Alice Dawson, Robert Harris, Juliette Howell, Michael Jackman, and Tessa RossWon [68]
Best Director Edward BergerNominated
Best Actor in a Leading Role Ralph Fiennes Nominated
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Isabella RosselliniNominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter StraughanWon
Best Casting Nina Gold and Martin WareNominated
Best Original Score Volker BertelmannNominated
Best Cinematography Stéphane FontaineNominated
Best Costume Design Lisy ChristlNominated
Best Editing Nick Emerson Won
Best Production Design Suzie Davies and Cynthia SleiterNominated
Outstanding British Film Edward Berger, Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Michael A. Jackman, and Peter StraughanWon
British Society of Cinematographers 1 February 2025 Best Cinematography in a Feature Film Stéphane FontaineNominated [69]
Camerimage 23 November 2024 Golden Frog for Best CinematographyStéphane FontaineNominated [70]
Chicago Film Critics Association 12 December 2024 Best Actor Ralph Fiennes Nominated [71]
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter StraughanNominated
Costume Designers Guild Awards 6 February 2025 Excellence in Contemporary Film Lisy ChristlWon [72]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards 7 February 2025 Best Picture ConclaveNominated [73]
Best Director Edward BergerNominated
Best Actor Ralph Fiennes Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Isabella RosselliniNominated
Best Acting Ensemble ConclaveWon
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter StraughanWon
Best Score Volker BertelmannNominated
Best Cinematography Stéphane FontaineNominated
Best Costume Design Lisy ChristlNominated
Best Editing Nick Emerson Nominated
Best Production Design Suzie DaviesNominated
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association 18 December 2024 Best Picture Conclave3rd Place [74]
Best Actor Ralph Fiennes Won
Directors Guild of America Awards 8 February 2025 Outstanding Directing – Feature Film Edward BergerNominated [75]
European Film Awards 7 December 2024 European Actor Ralph Fiennes Nominated [76]
Florida Film Critics Circle 20 December 2024 Best Picture ConclaveNominated [77]
Best Actor Ralph Fiennes Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Isabella RosselliniNominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter StraughanNominated
Best Cinematography Stéphane FontaineNominated
Best Original ScoreVolker BertelmannNominated
Best Ensemble ConclaveWon
Best Art Direction / Production DesignNominated
Golden Globe Awards 5 January 2025 Best Motion Picture – Drama ConclaveNominated [78]
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Ralph Fiennes Nominated
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Isabella RosselliniNominated
Best Director Edward BergerNominated
Best Screenplay Peter StraughanWon
Best Original Score Volker BertelmannNominated
Hollywood Music in Media Awards 20 November 2024 Best Original Score – Feature Film Volker BertelmannNominated [79]
London Film Critics' Circle Awards 2 February 2025 Film of the Year ConclaveNominated [80]
British or Irish Film of the Year ConclaveWon
Screenwriter of the Year Peter StraughanNominated
Actor of the Year Ralph FiennesWon
Supporting Actress of the Year Isabella RosselliniNominated
Technical Achievement Award Nick EmersonNominated
Mill Valley Film Festival 16 October 2024Audience Overall FavoriteConclaveWon [81]
National Board of Review 4 December 2024 Top 10 FilmsConclaveWon [b] [82]
Best Ensemble Won
New York Film Critics Online 16 December 2024Best PictureConclaveNominated [83]
Best DirectorEdward BergerNominated
Best Actor Ralph Fiennes Runner-up
Best ScreenplayPeter StraughanNominated
Best CinematographyStéphane FontaineRunner-up
Best EnsembleConclaveWon
Online Film Critics Society 27 January 2025 Best Picture ConclaveNominated [84]
[85]
Best Actor Ralph Fiennes Won
Best Supporting Actress Isabella Rossellini Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter Straughan Won
Best Cinematography Stéphane Fontaine Nominated
Best Costume Design Lisy Christl Nominated
Best Original Score Volker Bertelmann Nominated
Palm Springs International Film Festival 3 January 2025 Ensemble Performance Award Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati and Isabella RosselliniHonored [86]
San Diego Film Critics Society 9 December 2024 Best Picture ConclaveRunner-up [87]
Best Director Edward BergerNominated
Best Actor Ralph Fiennes Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Stanley TucciNominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter StraughanNominated
Best Ensemble ConclaveRunner-up
Best Cinematography Stéphane FontaineRunner-up
Best Costume DesignLisy ChristlNominated
Best Production DesignSuzie DaviesNominated
San Diego International Film Festival 20 October 2024Best Gala FilmConclaveWon [88]
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle 15 December 2024 Best Actor Ralph Fiennes Nominated [89]
Best Supporting Actress Isabella RosselliniNominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter StraughanNominated
Best Cinematography Stéphane FontaineNominated
Best Editing Nick Emerson Nominated
Best Original ScoreVolker BertelmannNominated
Best Production DesignSuzie Davies and Roberta FedericoNominated
San Sebastián International Film Festival 28 September 2024 Golden Shell ConclaveNominated [90]
Santa Barbara International Film Festival 15 February 2025 Outstanding Performer of the Year Award Ralph Fiennes Honored [91]
Satellite Awards 26 January 2025 Best Motion Picture – Drama ConclaveNominated [92]
Best Director Edward BergerNominated
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Ralph Fiennes Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Isabella RosselliniNominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter StraughanNominated
Best Film Editing Nick Emerson Nominated
Best Production Design Suzie Davies and Cynthia SleiterNominated
Best Original Score Volker BertelmannNominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards 23 February 2025 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Ralph Fiennes Nominated [93]
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Sergio Castellitto, Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Isabella Rossellini, and Stanley TucciWon
Seattle Film Critics Society 16 December 2024 Best PictureConclaveNominated [94]
Best Lead Actor Ralph Fiennes Nominated
Best Supporting ActressIsabella RosselliniNominated
Best ScreenplayPeter StraughanNominated
Best Ensemble ConclaveNominated
Best Costume DesignLisy ChristlNominated
Best Original ScoreVolker BertelmannNominated
Best Production DesignSuzie Davies and Cynthia SleiterNominated
Set Decorators Society of America 7 February 2025 Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Contemporary Feature Film Cynthia Sleiter, Suzie DaviesWon [95]
Society of Composers & Lyricists 12 February 2025 Outstanding Original Score for a Studio FilmVolker BertelmannNominated [96]
St. Louis Film Critics Association 15 December 2024 Best Film ConclaveNominated [97]
Best Director Edward BergerNominated
Best Actor Ralph Fiennes Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Stanley TucciNominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter StraughanWon
Best EnsembleConclaveWon
Best ScoreVolker BertelmannNominated
Best Production DesignSuzie Davies and Cynthia SleiterNominated
Toronto Film Critics Association 15 December 2024 Best Lead Performance Ralph Fiennes Runner-up [98]
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter StraughanRunner-up
USC Scripter Awards February 22, 2025Best Adapted ScreenplayPeter StraughanWon [99] [100]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association 8 December 2024 Best Film ConclaveNominated [101]
Best Director Edward BergerNominated
Best Actor Ralph Fiennes Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Isabella RosselliniNominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter StraughanWon
Best Cinematography Stéphane FontaineNominated
Best Editing Nick Emerson Nominated
Best Original Score Volker BertelmannNominated
Best Acting Ensemble ConclaveWon

See also

Notes

  1. 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 the late pope changing this law, although the film does not mention the change.
  2. This award does not have a single winner, but recognizes multiple films.

References

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  19. Yossman, K.J. (10 November 2023). "Edward Berger's Conclave, Starring Ralph Fiennes and John Lithgow, Acquired by Focus Features for U.S." Variety . Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
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