In an almost surreal twist of timing, the Oscar-winning film Conclave became available to stream in Australia just as the world is coming to terms with the death of Pope Francis.
The leader of the Catholic Church passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88, and while the world mourns, attention is already turning toward the centuries-old tradition that will decide his successor: the papal conclave.
And if you’re curious about how this ancient, secretive process works, Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, and John Lithgow, offers a gripping (and sometimes startling) look inside the Vatican’s power halls.
Where can you watch Conclave in Australia?
Australian viewers can now stream the Oscar-nominated Conclave on Prime Video as of April 22, 2025. If you’re keen to watch, you’ve got two choices:
- Rent it for $6.99 (you’ll have 30 days to start and 48 hours to finish once you hit play)
- Buy it outright for $19.99.
If Prime’s not your platform of choice, you’ll also find Conclave on YouTube and Apple TV under the same rental and purchase terms.
What is Conclave about?
Directed by Edward Berger (best known for All Quiet on the Western Front), the film is based on Robert Harris’ bestselling novel of the same name. The story begins with the sudden death of a beloved pope, and the high-ranking cardinals of the Catholic Church gathering in Rome to choose his replacement.
Fiennes plays Cardinal Lawrence, a man tasked with guiding the church through this transition. But as the cardinals are locked away in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, cut off from the outside world, Lawrence uncovers a conspiracy that could shake the church to its core.
How accurate is Conclave compared to the real thing?
If you’re wondering how close Conclave gets to reality, the answer is: surprisingly close, with some Hollywood twists.
The core of the film, the rituals, the secrecy, the locked doors, and the dramatic black-or-white smoke that signals whether a new pope has been elected, is all grounded in fact. These age-old traditions are still followed today, including the rule that only male cardinals under the age of 80 can vote, and that they are sequestered until a decision is reached.
In the film, Isabella Rossellini portrays Sister Agnes, the only woman in an otherwise all-male Conclave, but in realit,y only men participate.
That said, the film’s ending (don’t worry, no spoilers here) is also pure fiction. Nothing like it has ever happened in real Vatican history, though the political intrigue, backroom whispers, and rivalries between powerful factions? Very believable.
In fact, the film’s writer, Peter Straughan, and the book’s author, Robert Harris, both consulted real-life clergy during their research, including cardinals and Vatican insiders. According to Harris, the late Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor even wrote to him after reading the novel, praising its authenticity.
Did Pope Francis inspire the story?
Interestingly, yes — at least partly. Harris started writing Conclave not long after Francis became pope in 2013, and said the pontiff’s unique approach to leadership inspired the tensions and themes explored in the book.
While the fictional pope in the film isn’t a direct stand-in for Francis, the story certainly explores many of the same issues that defined his papacy: internal resistance to change, global power struggles, and the weight of modernising an ancient institution.
Why Conclave is especially timely right now
With the real College of Cardinals preparing to gather in Rome in the coming weeks, the real-life version of the events depicted in Conclave is about to unfold on the world stage. As the Vatican prepares for smoke signals and centuries-old rituals, the film offers a fascinating, and occasionally chilling, look at the closed-door world we rarely get to glimpse.
So if you’ve ever wondered what really happens after a pope dies, or how the next leader of the Catholic Church will be chosen, Conclave is well worth adding to your watchlist.
