Conclave

Right now you can watch Conclave in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Philo and Starz Apple TV Channel — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. With 3,465 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Ralph Fiennes's performance alone is worth the time investment. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Amazon Prime Video.

Conclave arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Conclave treats its mystery as a means, not an end in itself. After the unexpected death of the Pope, Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with managing the covert and ancient ritual of electing a new one. Sequestered in the Vatican with the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders until the process is complete, Lawrence finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could lead to its downfall. Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci lead a cast that gives the tension real weight. Conclave came out in 2024. Conclave is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Viewers who think they have seen every crime drama tend to find Conclave proves them wrong. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Ralph Fiennes anchors it, but the writing does the real work. If you are going to commit to one crime drama this month, make it this one.