A cardinal is put in charge of electing a new Pope. As the secret conclave goes on, he uncovers bigger and bigger secrets about the candidates. He starts to question his own faith and the Church he has given his life to. Edward Berger's film is a political thriller set inside the Vatican's most secretive ritual.
Conclave is a 2024 thriller and drama film directed by Edward Berger. This breakdown covers 4 techniques (2 cinematography and 2 narrative), each with the scene where you can see it. If you like how it is made, Project Hail Mary uses several of the same techniques.
Shooting almost the whole film in 1 confined place. Set design and camera movement keep it visually interesting, and the space itself takes on meaning as the story goes on.
How this film uses it
The whole film takes place in the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals' residence and the Vatican's sealed corridors. The cardinals are physically cut off from the world, and nobody outside can judge what they do in there.
Where to see it
The sealing of the Sistine Chapel doors. Once the doors are locked, you know the film will stay inside, and so will every moral choice the cardinals make.
Showing an institution as the source of power in the story, through its walls, corridors, watchful sightlines and procedures. The system itself confines people more than any single villain.
How this film uses it
Stéphane Fontaine's photography uses the Vatican's buildings to show you how the Church is organized. The corridors, chapels and dining halls all tell you who ranks above whom. This is an institution that has lasted centuries by controlling its own story.
Where to see it
The cardinals walking in procession through the Vatican's corridors in their red vestments. Against those buildings, the ritual looks ancient, unstoppable and slightly absurd.
Moving the film at the slow, deliberate pace of a ritual, with long takes, few cuts and unhurried camera moves. The patience builds dread and gives each step the weight of a ceremony.
How this film uses it
Voting for a Pope is slow and repetitive: the papers are burned, the votes are counted and the result is announced. Berger keeps that rhythm and never speeds it up. The suspense comes from how long each step of the procedure takes.
Where to see it
The multiple rounds of voting. Each round is slightly different because alliances have shifted, so you follow the film's politics by watching the same ritual repeat.
Building up the usual genre expectations, like the villain getting caught and the climax approaching, then refusing to deliver them. Your own anticipation is what makes the letdown hit so hard.
How this film uses it
At the end, you learn who the elected Pope really is. The reveal knocks down the thriller's suspense, along with whatever you assumed about the Church's future.
Where to see it
The disclosure of Cardinal Benitez's full identity. Until then he seemed like a modest, humble outsider, and now you read every one of his scenes differently.
Questions
Conclave: quick answers
What filmmaking techniques does Conclave use?
CineCode breaks down 4 techniques in Conclave (2024): Single-Location Cinematography, Institutional Architecture, Ceremonial Pacing and Expectation Collapse.
Who directed Conclave?
Edward Berger directed Conclave, released in 2024. CineCode also covers All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), Ballad of a Small Player (2025).
What films are similar to Conclave?
Films that share techniques with Conclave include Project Hail Mary (2026), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Se7en (1995), Psycho (1960).
