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The notoriously secretive process of selecting a new pope was dramatized in Edward Berger’s Oscar-winning film Conclave, and the 2024 film has garnered renewed interest following the death of Pope Francis. Until recently, Conclave was available on Peacock; however, as of tomorrow, April 22, it will be available to stream on Amazon Prime. Until then, it’s only available to rent or buy.
Where to Stream Conclave
Conclave’s streaming home was Peacock until earlier this month, when it was removed from the service ahead of its launch on Amazon Prime Video. It’s one of the frustrations of the streaming age — content is often shuffled between different streamers. According to Decider, Conclave is expected to return to Peacock in 2026 due to Universal’s streaming arrangement with Prime Video and Peacock.
rent or buy on prime
Is Conclave a True Story?
The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris, who was inspired by the 2005 papal conclave. The characters are fictitious, but Harris said the book was thoroughly researched, telling the AP, “I tried to be accurate. I’m a sort of slave to facts really. All the processes of a conclave are laid out like canon law. What happens every day and what the rules are, how many votes have to be achieved and how they’re counted and then burned and so on. I read a lot of accounts of past conclaves.”
Conclave stars Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence, who is tasked with administering the conclave. Various factions emerge, including a conservative wing backing Sergio Castellitto’s Goffredo Tedesco and a liberal wing that is split between Stanley Tucci’s Aldo Bellini and Lawrence himself. The supporting cast includes Isabella Rossellini, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, and Carlos Diehz.
Despite the serious subject matter, the film has some surprisingly melodramatic moments, with Rolling Stone’s David Fear writing, “Do not come to Conclave in search of some divine messages about power, corruption and lies percolating within a sacred space. Just embrace it for being the type of gobsmacking, pope-up-the-jams entertainment that will have you genuflecting with gratitude over its over-the-top ridiculousness.”
