Last month, news broke that the Pope has died — and today, the world is living out a real-life Conclave. As the College of Cardinals gathers behind closed doors to elect a new leader, the ritual, secrecy, and high-stakes manoeuvring of the Vatican take centre stage once more, echoing the drama we've only glimpsed in fiction.
For those already gripped by the tension and symbolism surrounding this rare moment in history, now might be the perfect time to lean further into the intrigue. Below, we’ve gathered a list of films and series that orbit similar themes: power, belief, secrecy, and the private lives of those who shape global faith. Whether you're in the mood for a taut political thriller, a psychological drama, or a slow-burn mystery set behind monastery walls, these stories offer a way to explore the complex, cloistered world of faith and authority from your own living room. Below, find 9 films like Conclave to watch.
1. Angels and Demons (2009)
Where to stream: Foxtel Now, BINGE.
No list of films like Conclave would be complete without this one. In a race against time inside the Vatican’s ancient walls, symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) unravels a conspiracy threatening the future of the church. Directed by Ron Howard, this thriller winds through secret societies, hidden codes, and the urgency of electing a new pope — all against a backdrop of ritual and power.
2. Spotlight (2015)
Where to stream: ABC iView, Amazon Prime Video Store, Apple TV Store, Google TV, YouTube
Directed by Tom McCarthy and starring Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and Mark Ruffalo, this Pulitzer-winning story follows a team of Boston Globe journalists exposing decades of abuse — and cover-ups — within the Catholic Church. It’s a methodical and devastating investigation that reveals how deeply institutions can protect their own.
3. Doubt (2008)
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video Store, Apple TV Store, Google TV, YouTube
Set in a 1960s Bronx Catholic school, a stern principal (Meryl Streep) and a charismatic priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) become locked in a tense battle of suspicion and power. This drama thrives on ambiguity, moral complexity, and the shifting ground between certainty and uncertainty.
4. The Two Popes (2019)
Where to stream: Netflix
At a pivotal moment for the church, Cardinal Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) and Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) confront their vastly different visions for the future — and the ghosts of their pasts. It's a conversation-driven story about change, forgiveness, and unlikely kinship at the highest level.
5. The Young Pope (2016)
Where to stream: SBS On Demand
Jude Law stars as Lenny Belardo, an enigmatic young American who becomes Pope Pius XIII and wages a strange, visionary war for power and faith. Directed by Paolo Sorrentino, this sumptuous and provocative series is a surreal meditation on authority, image, and the loneliness of absolute leadership.
6. Women Talking (2022)
Where to stream: Apple TV+
In an isolated religious colony, a group of women secretly gather to decide whether to stay, fight, or flee after systemic abuse is uncovered. Directed by Sarah Polley and starring Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, and Jessie Buckley, it’s a powerful, dialogue-driven exploration of choice, belief, and collective awakening.
7. The Name of the Rose (1986)
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video
For those with a penchant for older films this one, set in a 14th-century Italian monastery, follows a Franciscan friar (Sean Connery) and his novice (Christian Slater) investigate a string of mysterious deaths — unearthing dark secrets of forbidden knowledge and heresy. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, it’s a chilling, cerebral mystery steeped in medieval intrigue and religious politics.
8. The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968)
Where to stream: Apple TV+
Another throwback film, The Shoes of the Fisherman takes place when a Ukrainian archbishop (Anthony Quinn) is unexpectedly elected pope after years in a Soviet gulag. Directed by Michael Anderson and featuring Laurence Olivier, this sweeping drama captures the burden of faith on the world stage.
9. Immaculate (2024)
Where to stream:Foxtel Now, BINGE, Amazon Prime Video.
Sydney Sweeney stars in this horror-inflected thriller as a devout American woman who joins a prestigious Italian convent, only to uncover dark secrets festering behind its sacred facade. Directed by Michael Mohan, it’s a story where devotion, control, and terror blur into something chillingly irreversible.
