Ralph Fiennes is mesmerizing as a cardinal leading the process of choosing a new pope—which plays out like an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery.

PLOT A cardinal running a papal election finds himself investigating a mystery. CAST Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini RATED PG (some mature themes) LENGTH 2:00 WHERE Area theaters BOTTOM LINE Solid, engaging, well-crafted thriller

This October, voters have a choice: do you vote for the candidate you believe in? Or do you vote to keep a right-wing strongman out of power? Ideally, those goals and desires will overlap, and while this question has resonance for American voters this fall,

Director Edward Berger’s lack of faith in the cheap but potent power of his source material would make the most true-blue believer turn agnostic

While “Conclave” is a visually and sonically stunning exploration of Church politics, it falls short in providing an emotional resolution for its characters and its viewers.

Watch the trailer for ‘Conclave,’ the thriller about the election of a new pope.