Despite some controversy, the Edward Berger-directed mystery thriller “Conclave,” featuring Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini, and Stanley Tucci, earned an Oscar nomination in 2025 and explores the traditions surrounding papal elections by Catholic cardinals.

The real-life conclave will reconvene following the Vatican’s announcement of Pope Francis’ death on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, the day after Easter.

Released in October 2024, “Conclave” resonated with audiences against the backdrop of Pope Francis’ declining health, which became public in February 2025, as he battled in his final months.

The film is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris.

Dennis Doyle, professor emeritus at the University of Dayton in , told Digital that the film was mostly accurate.

Doyle spent 40 years teaching at the Catholic research university.

Doyle noted minor discrepancies, such as slight inaccuracies in the Latin, the carpet’s color (red in the film, beige in reality), dramatized seating arrangements, and a slightly different voting process.

Despite these minor creative adjustments, Doyle considered the film to be largely accurate.

Doyle told Digital that he was impressed by the film’s quality and its ability to portray each character sympathetically.

Doyle read the book twice in preparation for the film.

Doyle noted that in the book, a character was transgender but didn’t undergo surgery, whereas the film portrayed the character as intersex, but still without undergoing surgery.

Upon the film’s release, some Catholics expressed their disapproval on social media, deeming it “anti-Catholic” and “dishonest.”

Doyle said he found the film realistic until the very end, which he considered unrealistic on a literal level, questioning the likelihood of an intersex person being elected pope, while acknowledging the ending’s symbolic significance.

He added that some Catholics might find the ending off-putting.

Doyle suggested that, while somewhat improbable, the film raises questions about the role of women in the church and the possibility of gender equality within the Catholic Church.

Doyle pointed out that in the film, nuns serve the cardinals, whereas in reality, the building is staffed by individuals who handle tasks such as meals and housekeeping.

Doyle emphasized that the film highlights the broader issue of men in leadership positions and women in subservient roles.

Doyle stated that the conversation about transgender issues is relatively recent within the church and is more prevalent in the United States and Europe than globally or even necessarily in Rome.

released Dignitas Infinita, a declaration in 2024 in which Pope Francis condemned gender theory, asserting that attempts to alter one’s immutable gender are misguided attempts to play God.

Doyle noted that the film doesn’t focus on transgender issues until the final moments, with only a few hints of the conclusion earlier in the film.

Following Pope Francis’ death, Doyle anticipates that the newly released film will pique interest in the Catholic Church.

He said that the film may increase awareness of the political maneuvering within the church, a theme explored in both the movie and the book, and that it might generally make the concept of the conclave more interesting.

“Conclave” received several 2025 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor, and won for Best Adapted Screenplay.

“`