Jeremy L. Berg

As we remember Pope Francis and his legacy, I want to recommend a very enjoyable film I have seen twice. Do yourself a favor and skip the recent film, “Conclave” (which I saw in the theater but don’t recommend) and watch the uplifting and entertaining “The Two Popes” (2019). You’ll thank me.

Here’s Netflix’s description:

Behind the walls of the Vatican, one of the most dramatic transitions of power in the history of the Roman Catholic Church unfolds. From Academy Award–nominated director Fernando Meirelles (The Constant Gardener) and screenwriter Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything), the biographical drama The Two Popes explores the role of the Church in the modern world through the relationship of two pontiffs: traditionalist Pope Benedict XVI and his liberal successor, Pope Francis. 

Pope Benedict, played by Anthony Hopkins, resigned from the papacy in 2013. Pope Francis, played by Jonathan Pryce, served in the role for 12 years until his death in April 2025. Both Hopkins and Price earned Oscar nominations for their portrayals.

Did you see either “The Two Popes” or “Conclave”? If so, what did you think?