Every week here at Pixel Swish we recommend a movie, series, or video game that we feel should be a part of everyone’s play/watchlist; giving you our quick thoughts on what makes them special. So if you’re ever at a loss come the weekend on what to watch or play, consider checking out our weekly pick as we post every Friday or Saturday. We also post video versions of this series on TikTok so be sure to follow us there to keep updated. Without further ado, let’s get into this week’s pick!

Conclave

Adrien Brody won the Oscar for Best Actor last Sunday during the 97th Academy Awards. Though I’ve read that he’s great in The Brutalist and understand his win was significant because the role was somewhat of a comeback for him, Ralph Fiennes in Conclave was absolutely spectacular. 

Directed by Oscar nominee Edward Berger, Conclave tells the story of Thomas Lawrence, played by Fiennes, who is the dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals of the Catholic Church. After the pope dies of a heart attack, Thomas must organize the conclave to elect his successor. The four candidates in the race are vastly different in terms of their political leanings, with some being more progressive and others leaning towards more traditionalist values–and then you have Tedesco, who honestly isn’t too far off from some of our leaders today. I’ll leave it at that.

Throughout the 120-minute runtime, we follow Thomas as he unearths seedy secrets about some candidates and begins to question the race and the church’s future. Fiennes does such an impeccable job at playing the moral dilemmas of this character who questions his faith and the structures of the Catholic Chuch. From the sadness his character feels about the pope’s death, to his frustrations towards some of his colleagues, to the desperation of trying to find answers and do the “right” thing, Fiennes brings a rounded performance that illustrates all of his character’s contradictions in their pursuit towards righteousness; doing so with a performance that’s grounded and firm while still evoking a heartfelt sensitivity.

As a film, Conclave is enthralling. It’s paced and edited to perfection and shot with a slickness that brings some refreshing modernity to an otherwise, for the lack of a better word, traditional narrative premise. Its writing is also incredibly sharp and doesn’t shy away from tackling some of the taboo topics surrounding the Catholic Church. There’s one monologue in particular that’s given by Fiennes’ character that’s going to stick with me for some time as its writing and delivery by Fiennes is truly captivating. The rest of the cast is no slouch, either. From Stanley Tucci to John Lithgow, to Isabella Rossellini, every member of this cast carries their weight and seriously brings it in every scene.      

A movie about the Catholic Church may not be for everyone and definitely isn’t my genre of preference, but Conclave is a must-watch and, frankly, should’ve gotten more love at this year’s Academy Awards.