This Oscars season is showing to be a tight race. Between Sean Baker’s sex-worker-centered comedy “Anora,” Brady Corbet’s three-hour epic “The Brutalist,” Coralie Fargeat’s body-horror “The Substance,” and seven others, 2025 has seen some fantastic projects in the film industry. Despite the tight race and my love and admiration for all of these movies, no project stands out to me this season like Edward Berger’s “Conclave.”
“Conclave” follows the character of Cardinal Lawrence (portrayed by Ralph Fiennes) after the unexpected death of the Pope. Lawrence must now manage the ancient ritual of a conclave and elect a new one in his place. As the cardinals flood the Vatican, secrets are exposed, and conspiracies conspire as the group must come to one, unanimous decision for who they will choose to be as the next Catholic leader.
Within this movie’s two-hour run-time, viewers are transported into the Vatican to experience the high-stakes ritual that will decide the fate of an entire religion. Berger creates this journey with an amazing set and costuming, a talented cast, and a modern touch to the Catholic tradition.
“Conclave” takes place in the Vatican, also known as, one of the most off-limit locations for filming. To work around this, Berger and the production designer, Suzie Davies, refurbished an old Sistine set at Cinecittà in Rome to be able to bring audiences the most authentic rendition of the building as they could.
While the costumes in “Conclave” appear authentic, costume designer Lisy Christl created the traditional cardinal robes with richer colors and more intricate details to translate better to the big screen. The rich-red cassocks contrast with the traditional muted setting of the building and resemble the rising tensions amongst the cardinals perfectly.
Berger is no stranger to talented ensemble casts. From “All Quiet on the Western Front” to “Jack,” “Conclave” is no different. Alongside Fiennes stands, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Isabella Rossellini, and many more.
Compared to all of the other moves nominated in the category, “Concalve” consists of the oldest cast age-wise. Berger pays homage to the greats of the industry while also providing room for older newcomers to shine, such as Carlos Diehz. “Concalve” provided prominent roles for older actors, just like audiences saw in Daniel Scheinert’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” another Oscars Best Picture winner.
Berger honors traditional Catholic tradition in “Conclave,” while also commenting on the power struggles, corruption, and need for reform within the church. All of the cardinals in “Conclave” honor their religion greatly, but they can also all see a time when the church’s hypocrisies come into play.
In modern society, the church has been at the forefront of American politics through the President’s appeal to Christian voters and the topic of reproductive health. Although “Conclave” does not address these issues head-on, the movie provides commentary that helps assess the church’s position in modern times and how above all, it can still be a source of comfort for citizens if they can start to appeal to current life.
“Concalve” comments on current prominent issues while discussing them through a traditional lens. Institutions cannot change unless their people do, and that is exactly what Berger set out to do with this project. Of all the Oscar-nominated films I have seen this season, “Conclave” remains on top for me; it is a movie that needs to be seen.
