‘Conclave’ begins streaming on Prime Video in India as the world awaits white smoke at the Vatican

Poster of ‘Conclave’
| Photo Credit: Prime Video

The Ralph Fiennes-led political thriller Conclave, which centred on the secretive process of selecting a new pope, began streaming in India on Prime Video today. This comes just as the world awaits to see the results of the secret conclave to elect late Pope Francis’ successor.

Based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris, Conclave is a gripping political thriller that tells the story of a cardinal tasked to head the most secretive process of selecting the new leader of the Vatican. Directed by Edward Berger, the film excelled in the festival circuit before its dream run in the theatres. The film notably won four BAFTAs and an Academy Award.

Jointly written by Peter Straughan and Robert Harris, the film boasts an award-winning cast with names like Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, Jacek Koman, Lucian Msamati, and John Lithgow.

“In charge of running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope, Cardinal Lawrence (Fiennes) gets embroiled in secrets and conspiracies that threaten to weaken the foundations of the ancient institution. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders gather from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers the mysteries left in the wake of the Pope’s death, trying his hardest to hold together the threads that could unravel the centuries-old legacy of the church,” reads the logline.

The popularity of Conclave surged worldwide in the wake of the death of Pope Francis on April 21. According to data from Luminate, the film saw a staggering 283% surge in viewership, jumping from 1.8 million minutes watched on April 20 to nearly 6.9 million minutes on the day of the Pope’s death.