Based on the 2016 political thriller novel by Robert Harris, Conclave is a riveting masterpiece. With astounding performances from the ensemble cast, every second of this movie has you further on the edge of your seat.

The movie begins with Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) hastily walking to the Pope’s residence. On arrival, he sees many cardinals kneeling over the Pope’s bedside, praying. The Pope is dead. It is time to elect a new one.

As the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Lawrence must now conduct one of the world’s most secretive events, the papal Conclave. It is a sequestered assembly of senior Cardinals, tasked with the appointment of the new Pope. The juxtaposition of Lawrence’s pivotal role as the Dean, while having a personal crisis with his faith, sets the tone for all the problems to come.

Ralph Fiennes is superb as the honorable Dean Lawrence. He masters the wise yet naive tone of the Dean, without encroaching on ‘condescending’ or ‘pitiful’. The College of Cardinals is composed of some colorful characters that include the liberal Cardinal Bellini (flawlessly played by Stanley Tucci), whose outspoken views fail to make him a frontrunner, the nationalist candidate, Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), whose fascist ideas about the Church will undo the progress of the predecessor Pope and the newly introduced Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz) whose genuine demeanor and poignant personality propel him to be a wild card candidate.

The set design for the Chapel and the Cardinal quarters is striking, with every backdrop matching the tone of the scene. Edward Berger’s direction is masterful, making each scene crescendo in suspense, until it erupts. Who knew a movie about the Papal Conclave could be this exhilarating!

Despite its setting, the movie is not about the Church. It is about human behavior. It is about how we interact with each other, how we make decisions, how we form ideas, how we pick sides, and how we destroy each other.

Conclave is a perfect drama, beautifully constructed and admirably executed