From cardinals in prayer to centuries-old secrets kept in locked rooms, the world of the Catholic Church has always fascinated the big and small screen.

Whether it's about recounting the weight of the papal tiara, the tensions during a Conclave , or the ambiguities of spiritual power, films about the Pope and TV series about the Vatican have constructed imaginaries that oscillate between historical reality and visionary fiction. 10 thrillers, satires, dramas and authorial masterpieces that explore the complexity of the Papacy and its privileged setting: the Vatican .

<h3 data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: justify;">1. Conclave (2024, directed by Edward Berger)</h3>

Based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris , Conclave tells the story of the papal election process following the death of the pontiff. The protagonist, played by Ralph Fiennes , finds himself dealing with internal tensions, secrets and revelations that call into question the entire decision-making system of the Church. Berger's direction maintains a controlled tone, choosing to focus on the relational dynamics between cardinals. The film is part of the conclave-film genre and focuses on personal and collective responsibility within the Vatican , offering a critical portrait of the ecclesiastical hierarchies.
Available on Amazon Prime Video from April 22, 2025

CONCLAVE - Official Trailer [HD] - Only In Theaters October 25

<h3 data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: justify;">2. Habemus Papam (2011, directed by Nanni Moretti)</h3>

Habemus Papam is the story of a man who, after being elected Pope , has a psychological breakdown and refuses the post. Played by Michel Piccoli , the character moves between the rooms of the Vatican and his inner fears. Nanni Moretti , who plays the psychiatrist called to resolve the situation of the pontiff, chooses a narration that alternates irony and introspection, maintaining a detached gaze. The conclave is the starting point of a story that focuses on the human limit in the face of a task considered divine. Far from heroic narratives, the film proposes a disillusioned approach, which questions the meaning of spiritual power .
Available on Now and Amazon Prime Video

Nanni Moretti and Michel Piccoli in a scene from the film (Courtesy of Press Office)

<h3 data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: justify;">3. The Young Pope (2016, created by Paolo Sorrentino)</h3>

Paolo Sorrentino imagines a young, reactionary and charismatic Pope . Jude Law plays Lenny Belardo, a controversial pontiff who shakes the balance of the Vatican . The series alternates visionary moments with dense dialogues, maintaining a critical and stylistic distance. Among the TV series about the Vatican , The Young Pope stands out for its aesthetic construction and attention to detail. Faith is treated as a language and a form of power, rather than as dogma. A deliberately ambiguous narrative, where the internal politics of the Church take on the tone of a psychological drama. Available on Now

Jude Law in a scene from The Young Pope by Paolo Sorrentino

<h3 data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: justify;">4. The Two Popes (2019, directed by Fernando Meirelles)</h3>

The film stages the meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and the future Pope Francis , imagining a confrontation between opposing visions of the Church. Hopkins and Pryce offer two sober interpretations, in a context that favors dialogue over action. Meirelles constructs a story that develops in the symbolic places of the Vatican , with attention to language, personal history and the ideology of the protagonists. It is distinguished by its realistic approach and the absence of clear judgments, entrusting the viewer with the task of reflection.
Available on Netflix

The Two Popes | Official Trailer | Netflix

<h3 data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: justify;">5. Angels &amp; Demons (2009, directed by Ron Howard)</h3>

Based on Dan Brown &#39;s best-selling novel, the sequel to The Da Vinci Code , Angels &amp; Demons is a thriller that mixes fiction and symbolism, taking the action to the streets of Rome and the rooms of the Vatican . After the death of the Pope , a series of murders and a threat to the city set in motion a high-tension narrative. The protagonist, Robert Langdon , played by Tom Hanks , is a professor involved in an investigation with esoteric overtones. Among the films about the conclave , this title focuses more on entertainment than analysis, but remains significant for the imagery it builds around ecclesiastical power. Available on Tim Vision and Amazon Prime Video

<h3 data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: justify;">6. Amen. (2002, directed by Costa-Gavras)</h3>

Amen. tells the story of the silence of the Church during the Shoah. At the center, the figure of a German officer who tries to inform the Vatican about Nazi crimes and that of a Jesuit who decides to act. Among the films about the Pope , this one stands out for its historical rigor and ethical approach, far from any spectacularization. Costa-Gavras offers a dry reflection on the moral responsibility of the Church in the extermination of the Jews. Available on Amazon Prime Video

Mathieu Kassovitz in a scene from the film (Courtesy of Press Office)

<h3 data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: justify;">7. The Man from the Kremlin (1968, directed by Michael Anderson)</h3>

Set during the Cold War , The Man from the Kremlin offers a reflection on diplomacy and faith, anticipating by a decade - in a sibylline way - the election of John Paul II . The protagonist, a former prisoner of the Soviet gulags, is elected Pope and finds himself having to manage international tensions. The narrative proceeds with solemn tones, but avoids rhetorical excesses, presenting the Vatican as a place of compromise and mediation. Among the films about the Pope , this title stands out for its political rather than religious setting, focusing attention on responsibility and communication between powers.

Anthony Quinn in a scene from The Man from the Kremlin (Courtesy of Press Office)

<h3 data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: justify;">8. Rome (1972, directed by Federico Fellini)</h3>

Among the various sequences of the film, Fellini inserts an ecclesiastical fashion show that represents one of the most well-known criticisms of the spectacularization of the sacred. The Vatican is evoked rather than told, through images full of irony. Rome is not a film about the Pope in the classic sense, but offers a visual and symbolic reading of the relationship between religious power and Italian culture. Fellini observes, distorts and filters through dreams what belongs to reality, leaving room for suggestion rather than plot.

<h3 data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: justify;">9. The Borgias (2011, created by Neil Jordan)</h3>

The series tells the story of the rise to power of Rodrigo Borgia and his sons. The Renaissance Vatican is described as a place of strategies, family relationships and compromises. Jeremy Irons plays Pope Alexander VI with measured tones, avoiding dramatic excesses. The series is curated in detail and maintains a narrative coherence that focuses on the construction of a context, rather than the heroism of the protagonists. Among the TV series about the Vatican , this one stands out for its historical approach and for the analysis of the internal dynamics of the Church of the time. Available on Amazon Prime Video

Jeremy Irons in a scene from The Borgias (Courtesy of Press Office)

<h3 data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: justify;">10. And There Came a Man (1965, directed by Ermanno Olmi)</h3>

A sober tale about the figure of Pope John XXIII , And There Came a Man avoids rhetoric and focuses on everyday life. Rod Steiger plays Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli with an acting that does not adopt self-satisfaction. Olmi adopts an essential style, close to documentary, which aims to restore the simplicity of the man even before the pontiff. Among the films about the Vatican , it is one of the most linear and respectful, constructed with rigor and attention to historical and human reality.

From Conclave to Habemus Papam: 10 Films and TV Series on the Pope and the Vatican

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