Conclave and 4 Other Movies Set In the Vatican With High Rotten Tomatoes Scores
To this day, the Vatican continues to inspire and regularly provides topics for the cinema.
The Vatican is one of the most sacred and secret places on earth. Despite the massive influx of tourists at any time of year, the faithful have no access to the election of the head of the Catholic Church – only the Cardinals choose him.
The recently released Conclave offers a unique opportunity to participate in a closed process where each voter has their own interests.
1. The Two Popes, 2019
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Cardinal Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, loves football, dances the tango, talks to ordinary people on the street and, despite his venerable age, is ready to reform the Church. After the death of Paul II, he was considered the leading candidate for the Holy See, but lost out to the German conservative Joseph Ratzinger.
The Argentine's position is so different from that of the new Pope that he wants to resign. But no sooner had Bergoglio bought his ticket to Rome than he received a letter from Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, inviting him to a personal meeting.
2. Conclave, 2024
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
The Pope dies suddenly. The British Cardinal Thomas Lawrence is charged with organising a conclave to elect a new Pope. The man has deep doubts about his own religious beliefs, but is forced to agree.
Over the next few weeks, he will have to build relationships with the various factions of the Church. The sudden arrival of Cardinal Benitez from Afghanistan, whose existence none of the conclave's representatives suspected, adds to the confusion.
At the same time, Lawrence learns many shocking secrets that could forever change both his attitude to the faith and the future of the oldest religious institution.
3. The Pope's Exorcist, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
A widow with two children inherits an abbey and moves in to start renovations. But her son is possessed by the demon and demands to see a priest. On a special mission from the Pope, the Vatican's best demonologist, Gabriele Amorth, is sent to exorcise him.
Julius Avery's film is based on the life story of Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican's most famous exorcist of spirits and demons. He was appointed exorcist for the Vatican diocese in 1986 and served for 30 years until his death.
4. The Agony and the Ecstasy, 1965
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
The plot revolves around Michelangelo Buonarroti, already a famous artist and sculptor, who is commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The artist has his own attitude to the creative process, striving for an unattainable ideal, always trying to do better.
Julius also seeks perfection – in God – but cannot understand the master's attitude to his work. There is a war, and the disputes between two great men gradually turn into a conflict of ideals over the construction of the heart of the Holy See.
5. The Scarlet and the Black, 1983
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
Father Hugh O'Flaherty secretly defies Pope Pius' ban. He shelters Allied soldiers and Jews who have escaped from Nazi captivity. Risking his position and his life, the priest uses his ingenuity to hide and smuggle members of the Resistance out of Rome.
The new power in the city is represented by Gestapo officer Herbert Kappler, an intelligent and cruel man. He rules with an iron fist and ruthlessly crushes any resistance, creating new threats for O'Flaherty.