From the director of City of God and the writer of Darkest Hour, this festival hit imagines a remarkably moving, surprisingly funny tête-à-tête between two of the 21st century’s most famous spiritual leaders: Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) and the future Pope Francis, then known as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce). Several years into his papacy and facing a series of scandals and controversies, Benedict summons Bergoglio, an Argentine cleric who has been one of the Vatican’s most outspoken critics. Though ostensibly a response to Bergoglio’s stated desire to retire, Benedict has another reason for arranging the meeting. Benedict is considering submitting his own resignation—the first time in over six centuries that a pope has done so—and views Bergoglio as a worthy potential successor. 

While they share a faith, the men are personal and philosophical opposites, and much of the pleasure here derives from watching these two intellectual titans spar on matters both weighty and trivial. Eloquently distilling one of the century’s most impactful, and dramatic transitions of power into poignant, tangible human drama, The Two Popes is a film of big ideas with surprising humor and a powerfully emotional core. D: Fernando Meirelles, Argentina/UK, 2019, 2h6m

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