Conclave: Oscars contender has UK premiere at London Film Festival

Conclave starts slowly – after the Pope dies in the opening scenes, it takes a while to set up the premise of the film and introduce the contenders to replace him.

But, over the course of two hours, the movie becomes more gripping.

“Don’t be fooled by how tedious the premise of finding a new Pope might sound on paper,” advised the AV Club’s reviewer Tomris Laffly., external

“In Berger’s studious and elegant hands, every ceremoniously cast vote, every reaction shot, every severely worn regalia and every quietly eventful meal that the cardinals share is packed with breathless, skin-prickling suspense.”

Conclave is “a sophisticated and sharply enthralling thriller,” wrote Mashable’s Kristy Puchko,, external describing it as “a movie that understands the complications of Catholicism”.

“Berger’s film is adapted, quite faithfully, from Robert Harris’s 2016 novel,” noted Vulture’s Bilge Ebiri,, external “and it combines the pulp velocity of a great airport read with the gravitas of high drama.”