'Conclave' trailer promises political shenanigans at the Vatican

Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini are at war.
By Shannon Connellan  on 
Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence in the film "Conclave."
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The secretive and suspenseful selection of a new pope lies at the core of Conclave, director Edward Berger's thriller set amid the halls of the Vatican.

Based on Robert Harris' 2016 novel, the film stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow as warring cardinals as well as Isabella Rossellini as an outspoken nun. As the trailer dropped today indicates, there's deep political complexity involved in this coveted seat.

Mashable's Entertainment Editor, Kristy Puchko, praised the film in her TIFF review as a "sophisticated and sharply enthralling thriller," writing, "This is a movie that understands the complications of Catholicism, where reason collides with belief and human nature with divinity."

Conclave opens in select cinemas Nov. 1.

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Shannon Connellan

Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about everything (but not anything) across entertainment, tech, social good, science, and culture.


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