Productions that portray the Catholic Church and the Vatican are available on streaming platforms
A (1936–2025) brought to light film productions again that portray the history of the Catholic Church. The process of choosing a new pontiff, the conclave, also usually inspires works in cinema and television. A recent example is the movie “”, Awarded no Oscar of 2025.
With the new papal election scheduled for the coming days, the Poder360 selected movies and series that address the papacy and the Vatican.
Conclave (2024) – Movie
Oscar winner for best adapted script, the feature is based on Robert Harris’s book Conclave. The story begins with the death of the Pope, played by Bruno Novelli, and accompanies Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), responsible for coordinating the election of a new church leader. The film highlights the arrival of cardinals to the Vatican and the internal joints to choose a consensus successor.
Two Popes (2019) – Movie
Starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce, the film portrays the transition between the freshly falers of Benedict 16 and Francis. The direction is from Brazilian Fernando Meirelles, known as Cidade de Deus.
The Pope of the People (2015) – Movie
The film tells Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s trajectory before becoming Pope Francis. Production addresses its religious vocation during the military dictatorship in Argentina and its path to the position of Pontiff. Rodrigo de la Serna plays the future Pope.
The Pope’s kidnapping (2023) – Movie
Directed by Marco Bellocchio, Rapito is based on a royal episode that occurred in 1858. The film tells the story of Edgardo Mortara (Enea room), a Jewish boy baptized by force and taken from his family to be raised as a Catholic. Parents’ struggle, Salomone (Fausto Russian Alessi) and Marianna (Barbara Ronchi), became a symbol of papal power resistance and influenced the Italian unification movement.
Pope (2011) – Filme
After the death of a Pope, the conclave gathers to elect a successor. The chosen one (Michel Piccoli), however, suffers a panic crisis and refusal to take office, generating a crisis among cardinals. To try to solve the situation, a psychoanalyst (Nanni Moretti) is called to the Vatican.
João Paulo II (2005) – Movie
The production, starring John Voight and Christopher Lee, follows the life of Karol Wojtyla, from his youth to his election as Pope John Paul II.
The Pope’s exorcist (2023) – Movie
The film is inspired by the trajectory of Father Gabriele Amorth, Vatican’s chief exorcist, who performed more than 100,000 exorcisms throughout his life. Starring Russell Crowe, the film adopts a tone of terror to portray its performance and its relationship with the supernatural.
