I admit, I don't know much about the Catholic Church, but after watching the Oscar-nominated Conclave, I feel confident in saying that *fictional* Cardinals and other Catholic officials are, quite simply, messy bitches who live for drama. At least when there's the papacy at stake. The other thing I know? It makes for a great drama that should definitely be on your watchlist. To that end, here's everything you need to know about how to watch Conclave.
A drama about the secretive selection process to find a new Pope, Conclave has been described as Gossip Girl meets the Catholic Church, and, TBH, it's not an inaccurate description. The movie stars Ralph Finnes as Cardinal Lawrence, the man in charge of organizing the conclave that will select the new Pope. But it's not so simple as organizing a regular election. Clear favorites represent different factions of the Church, others carry the weight of potential scandal, and some are just plain power hungry. Meanwhile, Lawrence's job is to choose which candidates to support...and which to sabotage. The film also stars Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, and Isabella Rossellini.
How many Oscars is Conclave nominated for?
Glad you asked. Conclave is one of the most nominated films at the 2025 Oscars, with 8 nods total. Finnes and Rossellini both earned nominations, for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively, and the film was also recognized for Best Music, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design, as well as Best Film Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay, and, finally, Best Picture.
Where to stream Conclave:
Conclave is currently streaming on Peacock—without commercials! It's also available to rent on Prime Video.
