“Conclave” wasn’t made with the Vatican’s involvement; it was shot at the legendary Rome studio Cinecittà. The film, made for about $20 million and scripted by Peter Straughan, is primarily a procedural, albeit one with a spiritual dimension.

PLOT A cardinal running a papal election finds himself investigating a mystery. CAST Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini RATED PG (some mature themes) LENGTH 2:00 WHERE Area theaters BOTTOM LINE Solid, engaging, well-crafted thriller

Ralph Fiennes is mesmerizing as a cardinal leading the process of choosing a new pope—which plays out like an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery.

Sleek, confident and peppered with delicious portraits in pursuit, deceit and evasion, the carnival of papal intrigue known as “Conclave” works like gangbusters. It’s the best

“Conclave” is a visual feast, unsurprising given Berger’s previous work on the 2022 adaptation of “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Here, cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine captures stunning interiors, with production designer Suzie Davies deserving credit for recreating the Vatican’s grandeur.

The politicking of choosing the next pope makes for a riveting film from Edward Berger that also stars John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini

It’s fitting that Peter Straughan, who co-wrote the script for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” was the one to adapt Robert Harris’ 2016 novel, taking audiences inside the secretive halls of the Vatican in the immediate aftermath of the pope’s death.

Watching a bunch of catty Catholic cardinals vying to be pope is divine in Ralph Fiennes' "Conclave," an electric thriller with some heavenly twists.

Ralph Fiennes stars as a conflicted Cardinal in Conclave, a sturdy, mature thriller about dark secrets within the Vatican. Here's our review.

This October, voters have a choice: do you vote for the candidate you believe in? Or do you vote to keep a right-wing strongman out of power? Ideally, those goals and desires will overlap, and while this question has resonance for American voters this fall,