The Pope Must Die(t) (1991)

Apparently, even the Vatican isn’t immune to administrative error. In this gloriously absurd comedy, a party-loving priest played by the late Robbie Coltrane (best known as Hagrid from Harry Potter) is accidentally elected as the new pope following a conclave ballot error. Once he’s inside the holy walls, he realises it has been overrun by the Mafia, a discovery that eventually puts a mark on his back.

It’s a wholly unserious film – a welcome breath of irreverence amid the earnestness of other papal election films. But it may have been taken a little too seriously at the time of its release: the title was changed to The Pope Must Diet on some posters, amid concerns that the original encouraged violence and an anti-Catholic stance.

Pope Joan (2009)

While most papal election films are relative dude fests (only men can be ordained as cardinals, after all), this film switches things up in a big way.

Directed by German filmmaker Sönke Wortmann, it tells the legend of the first and only female pope who purportedly served as head of the Church for about three years during the Middle Ages. A young woman disguises herself as a monk, travels to Rome and climbs the ranks of the Vatican – only to face exposure when a pregnancy threatens to reveal her secret.

Though historians have largely debunked the myth of a female pope, and the Italian Bishops’ Conference newspaper L’Avvenire dismissed the film at the time of its release, calling it “a hoax” with “extremely limited vision”, it’s a story made for the silver screen – in fact, another film based on the same account was made in 1972 starring Ingmar Bergman.

Habemus papam (2011)

Named after the Latin phrase meaning “we have a pope”, this Nanni Moretti film follows the emotional breakdown of a newly elected pontiff.

Upon being chosen to lead the Holy See, Cardinal Melville is overwhelmed by a crushing sense of responsibility, leading him to a psychoanalyst (played by Moretti himself) who attempts to reinstate his confidence, certainty and faith. Though this Italian-French film is heavier on the laughs than Conclave, it explores the human side of the Vatican similarly, considering the weight such a title could have on just one man.

The Two Popes (2019)

Unlike the others, Fernando Meirelles’ film is based on a true story with Pope Francis (formerly known as Jorge Bergoglio) as one of its leading characters. After eight years as pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) steps down and hopes to see Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) – an archbishop with entirely different views and philosophies – assume his role. A much slower burn than Conclave, The Two Popes reveals the intricacies of a rare occurrence within the Catholic Church – two popes meeting to discuss the future of Catholicism.

Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.