So, you’ve probably heard the buzz by now. Or maybe you just saw that striking poster with all the red robes and wondered if it was another Dan Brown riff. It’s not. Conclave is something much more grounded, much more tense, and—honestly—way better than your average religious thriller. It’s basically Succession but with incense and more Latin.
The cast of Conclave film is the real reason this thing works. You can have the most beautiful shots of the Sistine Chapel in the world, but if the guys in the hats aren't selling the high-stakes paranoia, the whole thing falls apart. Edward Berger, who gave us that haunting All Quiet on the Western Front remake, knew exactly what he was doing here. He gathered a group of veteran actors who can say more with a side-eye than most people can with a three-page monologue.
Ralph Fiennes: The Man Holding the Match
Ralph Fiennes plays Cardinal Thomas Lawrence. He’s the Dean of the College of Cardinals, which basically means he’s the project manager for the election of the next Pope.
Lawrence is in a weird spot. He’s having a massive crisis of faith—kinda ironic for a guy in his position—and he actually tried to resign right before the old Pope kicked the bucket. But the Pope told him no. Now, he’s stuck running this secretive lockdown while trying to figure out which of his "brothers" is actually a snake.
Fiennes is incredible here. He’s not doing the Voldemort hiss or the Grand Budapest whimsy. He’s playing a man who is exhausted. You see it in his eyes. He’s trying to be a detective in a room full of people who are experts at hiding their sins. It’s a quiet, vibrating performance that anchors the entire movie.
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Stanley Tucci as the Liberal Hopeful
You can’t have a movie about Vatican politics without Stanley Tucci. It’s just a rule. He plays Cardinal Aldo Bellini, an American who represents the progressive wing of the church.
Bellini is Lawrence’s closest ally, but their friendship gets tested fast. He claims he doesn’t want the job—saying that "no sane man would want the papacy"—but you can tell he’s terrified of what happens if he doesn't win. He’s the guy trying to keep the church from sliding back into the dark ages. Tucci brings that classic charm, but there’s a layer of ambition underneath that makes you wonder if he’s as humble as he says he is.
The Contenders: Lithgow and the Others
Then you’ve got the heavy hitters vying for the throne.
John Lithgow plays Cardinal Tremblay. He’s Canadian, seemingly moderate, and very popular. But as Lawrence starts digging, he finds some financial receipts that don't quite add up. Lithgow is great at playing "suspiciously nice." You want to trust him, but the movie keeps dropping hints that he’s playing a much deeper game.
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Then there’s the opposition:
- Sergio Castellitto as Cardinal Tedesco: He’s the "far-right" candidate. He wants to go back to Latin masses and traditionalism. He’s the antagonist to Bellini’s progressivism.
- Lucian Msamati as Cardinal Adeyemi: A powerhouse from Nigeria. He’s a favorite early on, but he’s carrying a secret from his past that Lawrence stumbles upon.
- Carlos Diehz as Cardinal Benitez: This is the wildcard. He’s the "Cardinal of Kabul," a guy nobody knew existed until he showed up at the gates. He’s quiet, humble, and—without spoiling anything—central to the film’s massive ending.
Isabella Rossellini: The Silent Power
Usually, in these types of movies, the women are just background dressing. Not here. Isabella Rossellini plays Sister Agnes. She runs the household, the kitchen, and the logistics of the sequestration.
She doesn’t have many lines. Honestly, she spends most of the movie just watching. But when she does speak? It’s a mic-drop moment. Rossellini captures that specific kind of "nun energy"—someone who sees everything, says nothing, but holds all the cards. She’s the moral compass in a room full of men who are busy fighting over power.
Why This Ensemble Works So Well
The chemistry between the cast of Conclave film is what makes the 72-hour timeline feel so claustrophobic. You’ve got these men locked in a building with no phones, no internet, and no contact with the outside world.
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It’s a masterclass in ensemble acting. Berger used consultants from the Vatican to make sure they moved correctly—how they sit, how they hold their hands, the rituals. It feels authentic. When you see these guys eating in a cafeteria like students in a dorm, but they're wearing thousands of dollars of silk robes, the contrast is fascinating.
Beyond the Big Names
While Fiennes and Tucci get the most screen time, the supporting cast fills out the "congress of cardinals" with actors from all over the world. Berger reportedly searched 40 countries to find the right faces. This gives the film a global scale that makes the election feel like it actually matters to the world, not just the guys in the room.
Brían F. O'Byrne plays Monsignor Raymond O’Malley, Lawrence’s assistant. He’s basically the Dr. Watson to Fiennes’ Sherlock, doing the legwork and finding the "smoking gun" documents that shift the votes.
Practical Next Steps for Fans
If you’ve already seen the film and want to dive deeper into how this world was built, here is what you should do next:
- Read the Source Material: Pick up the 2016 novel Conclave by Robert Harris. The film is a very faithful adaptation, but the book spends more time on the internal monologues of Cardinal Lawrence, which adds even more weight to Ralph Fiennes' performance.
- Watch the "Making Of" Features: Look for the "Actor Studio" interviews with the cast on YouTube or the Blu-ray. Hearing Stanley Tucci talk about the "ambition as the moth of holiness" gives a lot of context to his character's choices.
- Check Out Edward Berger’s Other Work: If you liked the tense, atmospheric directing, go back and watch All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) or the mini-series Patrick Melrose. He has a very specific way of handling high-stress environments.
- Look into the Real Conclave History: The film draws heavily on the 2005 conclave that elected Benedict XVI. Researching the real-life "liberal vs. conservative" splits in the Vatican makes the drama between Bellini and Tedesco feel much more real.