Hundreds of Beavers (2024)

Sometimes an independent film breaks into the public consciousness in a way that just demands it be seen. Cheslik's irreverent slapstick comedy Hundreds of Beavers has been the talk of festivals for a while before it became widely available on streaming. It is a remarkable project that is one of the most visually striking films around. It may appeal more to film nerds and those drawn more to more absurdist forms of entertainment. Mainstream audiences might not take to its audacious approach. However it is surprisingly charming even if for me it overstayed its welcome. 

At the heart of all of Beavers' artistry is a fun little story that is cleverly told and genuinely entertaining. It takes a bit to get into it but once it grabs hold it is a fun ride. For me it was a little long and I wish it had shown a bit more narrative restraint. When it rolled past the hour mark I did start checking my watch. However it's hard to fault it when it is so beautifully made. 

One noticed right away just how stunning a film it is to watch. Each shot feels meticulously put together and it shows the ingenuity such a passion project inspires. Made on a microbudget and basically a labour of love, Beavers is enjoyable for all that passion.

I've heard references to films like Eraserhead or the work of Wes Anderson and I very much see the similarities although I wouldn't go into this thinking you're going to see something as dark as Lynch's debut film or as slick as Anderson's oeuvre. This is a very joyous story, despite having a large amount of cartoony "gore", and for me it wasn't as snarky as an Anderson film with a lot more heart. Deep down it's about love. It's a love story and the amount of love it must have taken to make it is just incredible. 

Hundreds of Beavers

Starring: Ryland Brickson Cole Tews

Director: Mike Cheslik

Writers: Mike Cheslik, Ryland Brickson Cole Tews 

Moana 2 (2024)

Watching Moana 2 it quickly became apparent this was more like Frozen II than Toy Story 2. By that I mean, an afterthought, whose story and characters are solely designed to capitalize on the popularity of the previous film and not in any authentic way of continuing a story in exciting and or fascinating directions. I get it. Disney has struggled with new stories in recent years and returning to old wells is a safe bet for making money... which is the point right? But is that the point for the audience? I am not opposed to sequels. I find a truly good continuation of a story and taking beloved characters in new directions can be a very satisfactory narrative experience. But just recycling them into a similar version of their previous adventures just feels lazy. 

Also like the Frozen sequel Moana 2 has a story problem in that the "challenge" set our for our hero is one unbound by any natural constraints. It is metaphysical so that the writers can just write whatever solution to it that fits their time frame. The stakes just never feel like they are there. I never once doubted that they would pull off their nebulous mission which always just felt made up in the way a fortune teller makes up a "future" that can sort of fit into whatever box the listener wishes to place it. 

Moana 2 also exposes that outside of the title character and the scene stealing Maui, there aren't really characters we care about from the first film. Perhaps the grandmother but everyone else just feels like they could fade into the background and not be notices. Here we are introduced to a new crop of friends for Moana, each one blander and less interesting than the last. Her little sister is just every little kid character all melted into one cliche. I will give the film points for not feeling the need to give this princess a prince charming. The sheer lack of a love story is a strength of the first Moana and this film holds tight to that. Good choice. 

And one can't discuss a future animated Disney classic without discussing it's music. Well maybe in this case we can. The songs here all feel generic and forgettable. The centre piece song Beyond very much feels like an attempt to remake How Far I'll Go and it likely the most hummable of the bunch. 

Moana 2 is a surefire hit in that it sets out to give audiences exactly what they expect. However there is a message in this story about not knowing "the way" and perhaps needing to get lost to truly find it. I would rather Disney keep flailing around with original ideas and characters until they find another new original Moana instead of just retelling these stories over and over again. 

Moana 2

Starring: Auliʻi Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, Rose Matafeo, David Fane, Hualālai Chung, Rachel House, Awhimai Fraser, Gerald Ramsey, Alan Tudyk 

Directors: David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Mille

Writers: Jared Bush, Dana Ledoux Mille

Blitz (2024)

I have yet to meet a Steve McQueen (the director) movie I didn't like. The story in Blitz didn't excite me when I heard about it but it wasn't far into the runtime of this film when I knew I was in for another wonderful movie from this dynamic film maker. So much of this is in how he tells this story but the other key piece is the performance of Elliott Heffernan who is certainly a young actor to watch going forward with immense natural talent and screen presence. 

Blitz is the story of a boy sent away from London and his working class single mom during WWII to the country to avoid the bombings, who jumps off the train (therefore not discovering a wardrobe with a magic door to another world) and runs back to London looking for her amongst the chaos of the besieged city. Along the way he encounters some of the best and worst of humanity and suffers great loss. It is remarkably powerful and devastating, yet manages to find hope without descending into schmaltzy sentiment or coincidental conveniences. 

Heffernan is a revelation and carries this film so naturally. We experience war through the eyes of a child and this gives us the perspective to see its madness and cruelty. The "rational" actions of adults just don't make sense in this context or truly in any context. Blitz highlights this which is a big part of its genius. 

For the me the film's ending felt a bit anti-climactic after its quite honest and unflinching view on its events up to that point. The lack of a crescendo into some horrible revelation or triumphant reunion didn't take away from the rest of the film but also never delivered on the promise either. I get the point. The ending in its relative banality is likely far more realistic than what we expect in these sorts of films. But perhaps I just had hoped for a little more emotional resonance. 

Still Blitz is wonderfully engaging especially in moments of real joy and real terror. Scenes of Londoners partying, attempting to give a middle finger to the bombs raining down on them, were delicious while there are moments of sheer horror like the flooding of a tube station where people had taken refuge. Blitz continues a trend of McQueen having one of the strongest records of any of today's working directors. Bring on whatever is next! 

Blitz

Starring: Elliott Heffernan, Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller, Stephen Graham

Writer/Director: Steve McQueen

 

Wicked (2024)

A film adaptation of the popular stage musical Wicked, broken ostentatiously into two parts, really shouldn't be this good. But often I found myself so engrossed in its magic that I couldn't help but get inspired by its ambition. The film completely commits to not only attempting to capture the phenomenon that this musical achieved (and few truly reach these heights of zeitgeist) but also being part of a legacy connected to the classic film The Wizard of Oz. The cast are all in their ways amazing (more on that later) and Chu directs this like it is his magnum opus. Whatever kind of critique I could lob at the source musical's oversimplifying of a resistance message, the message remains and it is an important one, especially in these times, and Wicked delivers that in a truly magical way to its audience. Wicked Part One just hits right, even if it stops abruptly with a "to be continued..."

Chu completely builds the world of Oz in a way that both pays tribute to what's come before (the classic film and the stage musical both) but also by breathing life into it that feels authentic which is an achievement in a film with this much CGI and technicolor inspired art direction (again a tribute to where this all comes from). In all this there is a magic here that the Harry Potter films never really found. It's hard not to compare the two series as Potter steals so much from this (Wicked the book predates Potter by a couple years) and while the Wizarding World got bogged down in its own minutia, Wicked lets itself soar by giving us just enough back story to really feel it while sticking to its story. Chu seems to get that. For a 160 minute film that is only half a movie, the time flies and keeps you hooked throughout. 

And then there is the cast. First I'm going to call out the Grande haters. She is wonderful here. Sure she channels Chenoweth a bit but still puts her own spin on it. Her Galinda is complicated and a scene stealer. She nails the part and now I want to see her in other films. But she's not alone, Jonathan Bailey's star is rising and here he also gets to shine by making Fiyero a charismatic, difficult, and vulnerable person while being as hot as possible. But yes this film is Elphaba's story and Erivo who has been building a resume of strong roles really shines here as the only main character and by not playing to the rafters but letting her character emerge through a mask of rage and sadness with an almost impossible strength. 

While I do believe the musical adaptation has softened the revisionist iconoclast nature of its story with its almost chicken-soup-for-the-soul approach, and I know there will be critics falling all over themselves to highlight shiny-plastic sheen while ignoring the history of the whole Wicked experience are rooted in broadway and technicolor popcorn glory. But bedded within all that carnival showmanship a resistance narrative remains and it is in songs such as the iconic Defying Gravity where the marginalized often find inspiration to stand tall and fight back. The Wicked film captures that spirit... at least Part One does. We'll have to see if Part Two sticks the landing. After seeing the first instalment, I have a strong suspicion it might. 

Wicked 

Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Peter Dinklage, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth

Director: John M. Chu

Writers: Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox, Gregory Maguire

The Piano Lesson (2024)

We are so lucky that Denzel Washington has decided to produce film versions of August Wilson's plays. He knocked it out of the park with his own take on Fences and then with George C. Wolfe's exquisite adaptation of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Now we have a truly family affair. Denzel produced The Piano Lesson which stars his one son John David and is directed by his other son Malcolm. And it lives up to the legacy of this film cycle paying very respectful tribute to Wilson's work. 

The Piano Lesson is itself a very on the nose play (even the title's double meaning is obvious) but it is also very powerful. It's even a bit of a ghost story. That latter part is something the film leans into, embracing the ghosts of the past as fairly literal and not just symbolic. The director Washington films his story beautifully giving the film (which follows the stage-play fairly closely if I am not mistaken) a cinematic feel despite existing mostly in one space. For a debut film, this is a fairly impressive work. 

The cast is a big part of what makes this work. This feels like an ensemble in the truest sense with no one sticking out despite the star power of Jackson, the leading man looks of Washington, or the dreamy beef cake of Fisher. The cast is one completely whole who work together to bring this family and their history to life vibrantly. 

The Piano Lesson will give you so much to ruminate over, exploring ideas of legacy and how our history informs our past. But it is also just an entertaining two hours of cinema that shows just how talented this family is. And I hope Washington will keep producing more films based on Wilson's Century Cycle, a series which has so much to offer. 

The Piano Lesson

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith, Corey Hawkins 

Director: Malcolm Washington

Writers: Virgil Williams, Malcolm Washington

Gladiator II (2024)

Having recently rewatched 2000's Gladiator I can say that film holds up well and is perhaps misjudged when seen as being a "weaker" Best Picture winner. It has all the goods from an emotionally satisfying story, great performances, and Scott doing some of his best work. Sure it's a crowd pleaser and in all in good ways (aren't you entertained?) while exploring ideas of empire and corruption. Watching it again I felt exhilarated and moved, I adored Scott's visuals and the work of its cast. It really is one of those populist movies that actually earns it. 

Watching the long awaited sequel I had a few different thoughts. I'll get the negative ones out of the way first. I really don't think II is quite a "good" a movie. The first act feels rushed and much of the plot hinges on rather conceded coincidences. It feels somewhat less cohesive than the first and perhaps the stars just don't quite align. However with that out of the way I can talk about why I still really enjoyed it. 

This film may. cement Scott as one of his generation's greatest film makers. Not because this is some triumph for him but it shows that he can and does continue to make great films, films that are exciting and entertain. He has no reason to stop until he wants to. Gladiator II is a beautiful film that is not only a great experience to watch but also gets one thinking about a lot. He gives us something to chew on. Scott has made some of my favourite films of all time, some films I truly loath, and quite a few I could take or leave. But he clearly loves what he does and I'm always here to see what he's got up his sleeve next. 

Scott once again delves into a somewhat fictionalized version of Rome as stand in for our current world order. He is fascinated with empire and the corruption inherent in it, the way power can manipulate the masses and how fragile democracy is, perhaps even how much of an illusion it can be. This film explores a new aspect of that from the previous film. I do not agree with the critiques that this is too much like the first. Here his villain comes from outside power, using the tools of the empire against itself. The palace intrigue may not be quite as delicious as the first and the ending feels a little forced. But the ideas there are fascinating if you want to ruminate on them. Scott gives us much meat to chew on. 

Speaking of meat, the film is gory, more so than the first. While some of the staged "games" may not be overly historically accurate (Scott's Rome is a slightly alternate history anyway) but they are in how bloody disgusting they are. Be prepared to cover your eyes a bit and he pulls no punches. Like in his first film, Scott wants to make us somewhat complicit in the cruelty that is spectacle for the sake of empire. 

And that's what we get; spectacle and much of it. Mescal is a rising star and the camera lingers over his body for the fascination of those who would want it and those who would want to be it. He is also representing who we all want to be. But should we is part of the question II poses. I'm not sure it tackles this question as robustly but it's there. This film's two and a half hours fly by and never drag. Nielsen is as statuesque as ever, Pascal is tragically conflicted, and Washington shows us exactly how strong an actor he is in a powerful role that he keep balanced and nuanced, never giving in to chewing up the scenery.  

So the answer is yes. Gladiator II will entertain and earns that. But the shadow of the first film turns out to be just a little to long for this one to quite escape it. 

Gladiator II

Starring: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen, Matt Lucas, Peter Mensah, Rory McCann

Director: Ridley Scott

Writers: David Scarpa, Peter Craig

A Real Pain (2024)

A Real Pain didn't work that much for me. Despite the reviews it's getting, especially for Culkin's performance, the film felt emotionally stilted and Culkin, while often brilliant, had a character written so thinly that I never felt connected to it. The film felt like it was telling us more than showing us most of the time with characters voicing their inner monologues instead of making us feel real. The connections between Culkin's characters and Eisenberg's also never felt earned. 

A Real Pain is rather short in duration and I feel this hurt it as it didn't have time to really create the characters or build their relationships in a way that felt real. So as they attempted to deal with trauma, it didn't resonate. The film relies on a lot of assumptions on how we are supposed to feel. The most powerful moments were near the end touring a concentration camp where Eisenberg allows us to just take in the images of that legacy of evil and suffering. But his attempt to connect that to the characters he had written wasn't successful.

I never bought into the relationship these cousins had in a way that made me invested in them. And the script didn't make Culkin's character either a clown nor a martyr. He was mostly just awkwardly existing in scene to scene. A Real Pain felt like a lot of potential that just never quite materialized. 

A Real Pain

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey 

Writer/Director: Jesse Eisenberg

Pedro Páramo (2024)

This ambitious film, from the cinematographer of films like Barbie, Brokeback Mountain, and numerous Scorsese films, and first time feature director, Prieto, is a winding story of ghosts and legends, attempting to chronicle Mexican history as well as a very personal story of a man searching for meaning by searching for his unknown father. It is a gorgeous film filled with fantasy and intimacy, and attempts to wed quite a few ideas and themes together throughout its tale. 

Pietro is already an excellent cinematographer and Pedro Páramo is visually an incredible film. But what struck me was his skill at taking on such a daunting task of adapting this sort of colossal story. While I am less familiar with the source novel and its relevance to Mexican culture and literature, he manages to make the grand and often fanciful narrative all feel very accessible. His film comments on identity, history, religion, and more while also telling a very compelling and personal story. 

The film's messaging is complex and nuanced, not just giving us a simplistic idea of what finding one's history means. Páramo isn't hero nor villain and our main character has to wrestle with that in whatever state he ends up through this tale. Pedro Páramo is fascinating for many reasons, the remarkable screen chemistry of star Rulfo for one, but especially because it gives us as many questions and answers. 

Pedro Páramo

Starring:  Manuel García Rulfo, Tenoch Huerta

Director: Rodrigo Prieto

Writer: Mateo Gil

Heretic (2024)

Heretic was the third widely popular horror film in 2024 that didn't work for me (after Late Night With the Devil and Longlegs) and my problems with each are similar. In each case there is a fascinating premise, shot in a truly engaging manner, featuring great casts, who third act (or second act - as in a two act play - in this case) just falls apart into a series of horror movie cliches and tropes that pull apart the threads of what made the ideas interesting in the first place. Heretic lost me about half way through and never was able to get me back as it became just another stereotypical thriller that was neither scary nor interesting. 

The first part had me going. Grant plays this well measured academic religion nerd ready to quite politely but forcefully debate and discuss with the young true believers (in this case Mormon missionaries) who have come to his door. Yes he's creepy but in that mansplainy way that men who think they have it all figured out can be. There are suggestions that he's not being completely honest with these inexperienced missionaries, who naturally are young women, which adds layers as it becomes a choose-the-bear-not-the-man sort of story and the game of cat and mouse can begin against the backdrop of a rather interesting discussion of religion as control. But then...

The film decides it's not just good enough to tell this story as a battle of wills and world views that might collide and potentially lead to ambiguity and doubt. It has to throw every horror movie cliche into the mix. From jump scares to horror basements (in an impossibly constructed house holding numerous prisoners) and people we thought were dead jumping back to life for one last strike. But the worst part is it jettisons any piece of what made it interesting in terms of theological debate. It attempts to tack some on at the end but it all feels too little too late as it simply becomes a final girl narrative. Even the final moment, the butterfly, is it there or is it imagined? it felt like so much of a cop out. The movie isn't prepared to commit to anything and try to be everything to everyone. That makes it feel like it's nothing to anyone. 

I want something more interesting when I see horror. Grant's character even promises this. He suggests that we (although he's talking to the girls) may be terrified and might even want to die. He's referring to contemplating the meaning (or lack there of) existence, the idea of societal control. But the film's elaborate and frankly just too convoluted to believe, kidnapper plot just never gets there leaving us nothing but creepy women in robes and cages, multiple stab wounds, and plenty of gore. But little to nothing to reflect on. 

Heretic

Starring: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East

Writer/Directors: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods

Anora (2024)

I haven't met a Sean Baker film I didn't like. Anora may be his highest profile movie with its win at Cannes and the Oscar buzz it is getting which makes it feel the closest to a mainstream break out for him since The Florida Project. Anora is even more accessible with its charming lead actor and hilarious story that almost any adult audience could enjoy. Yet it never once compromises or becomes safe. Anora is a beautiful, tragic portrait of a woman striving for happiness in a world that does everything it can to keep it from her. 

Yes so much about what makes Anora work so well is the singular performance of Mikey Madison. I loved how much she loved her character, consistently and constantly playing her with a power and strength, even when showing vulnerability. Her self-worth was evident throughout no matter what the others around her were doing to try take that away from her, consciously or subconsciously. The script only gives us a little to work with on who this woman is, and there are plenty of times we could make assumptions. She defies all of that but rounding her out as a fully realized human being, and one who knows who she is and advocates for herself. She is funny and sexy and smart and relentless... who she needs to be, even when she has weaker moments. 

Madison gives one of those performances that you'll remember. The rest of the cast is good as well, especially Evdelshteyn (as the adorable yet spoiled rich kid who makes you like him despite how much of a douchebag he is) and Borisov (the thug with a heart of gold who will never be good enough for her). But really this is all about Madison and how she tears through this movie like a force of nature. 

Anora had me thinking about a lot. The film overtly references the elephant in the room, Pretty Woman, but tells a very different story. This isn't a fairy tale yet it also isn't a nihilistic film either. Somehow we know Ani will be okay... as much as anyone can be. There is a joy in this story that is palpable despite the challenges that face our hero. Baker is good at telling these stories that offer us joy for characters who are really struggling. Anora's most powerful moment comes right at the end, and it is a catharsis that is wholly relatable and felt by all of us. I believe there are parallels here with the ending of Pretty Woman, although it is a very different ending, that just felt like such an honest release. It is the sort of ending that just leaves you stuck in your chair as the credits role, feeling all of it until you can collect yourself. 

Anora is a triumph. Madison is a force of nature. Do yourself a favour and let yourself experience this film.  

Anora

Starring: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov,  Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan

Writer/Director: Sean Baker

Close to You (2024)

I didn't know the script for Close to You was extensively improvised by the actors until after I watched it but it made so much sense in how real it all felt. The scenes had an unscripted authenticity to them that had all the awkwardness and honesty of real conversations without the poetic posturing of many screenplays. I'm not saying I don't enjoy wittily crafted dialogue but Close to You just felt so raw and so realistic I was sweating during some scenes. 

This is a testament to the incredible cast headed by Page who gives one of the best performances of the year. Anyone connected to a trans person will recognize many of the moments in conversation that often come up and this film captures so much pent up emotional trauma from well meaning cis people. I was breathless in certain moments as the nerves were struck so credibly. 

Another strength of this truly impressive script is how it doesn't hold our hands and tell us exactly what is happening at every moment. There is a significant portion that could be perhaps fantasy, perhaps dream, but also credibly real. The film doesn't give us an answer, nor does it tell every moment chronologically. Instead it allows us to feel its moments... moment to moment. And that makes it end up feeling even more satisfying than it might have told more traditionally. 

Close to You is the sort of passion project that audiences are lucky to get from such creative talent. 

Close to You

Starring: Elliot Page, Hilary Baack, Peter Outerbridge, Wendy Crewson, David Reale

Writer/Director: Dominic Savage

 

Here (2024)

Here is an interesting experiment which never quite takes off. The "gimmick" of filming in one spot representing centuries of time actually works better than I had hoped but the problem mostly rests on the script which doesn't quite tell a compelling enough story. The film needed to focus on the connection between the physical space the people walking through it but that connection was mostly superficial. While Here never quite gets boring, it also never quite captures the audience's heart. 

Hanks and Wright are strong enough actors (along with their supporting cast, especially Bettany and Reilly) to pull off the range of the lives they are playing. I had no problem with the de-aging as in many ways it works much better than the aging make up films have put us through for decades. But the real test was how it would feel to watch a movie where the "camera" was placed in one spot the whole time. Surprisingly this worked for me. Zemeckis' use of the "space" along with different zones in the frame depicting different times, made it quite compelling.

As I mentioned it's the script that lost its way. It attempts to do so much and ends up doing so little. It becomes just a surface story for all the many threads it weaves instead of building any one of its narratives to a truly satisfying story. We are to be so moved by Hanks and Wright's final moments in the home but I found it hard to muster up much energy. 

So as an interesting experiment it had me quite fascinated, but as a story it didn't hold my attention. 

Here

Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Dockery, Gwilyum Lee, Ophelia Lovibond, David Fynn,  Zsa Zsa Zemeckis

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Writers: Eric Roth, Robert Zemeckis

The Wild Robot (2024)

Writer/Director Sanders is responsible for one of my all time favourite animated films, Lilo and Stitch. I love how wholly original and unlike anything else it is. He is also responsible for a film that mass audiences love a lot more than I do, How to Train Your Dragon. It's not that I don't like it (although I will pick apart its sequels), it just never resonated for me. The Wild Robot falls between the two for me. It is sweet and beautifully told if rather predictable and overly standard for my tastes. Still, it's hard not to appreciate a story that is so much about finding family. 

If I was going to nit pick anything it would be how little the film surprises you. Honestly anyone who has seen a movie before can tell you exactly what is going to happen at any point. Still, the art direction is gorgeous and the film just sticks to its story earnestly. I am a sucker for found family films, films that remind us that love comes from the least expected places and we can find our place amongst those who aren't anything like us. For that The Wild Robot overcomes any critique I have for lack of originality.  

The Wild Robot

Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O'Hara, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames 

Writer/Director: Chris Sanders

Conclave (2024)

Conclave is a drawing room mystery without a murder (perhaps). It is like something right out of Agatha Christie, only instead of a detective solving a murder, it is a Cardinal Dean (who happens to be running a Papal Conclave) attempting to solve a different sort of mystery, investigating just like a Poirot or Marple would do. Only this time the answer is something unexpected. 

Berger's work here is remarkable, using the ceremony, costuming, and Vatican setting to film a truly beautiful movie. This sort of Catholic pageantry makes for some incredible film making (as Coppola used it in his Godfather trilogy) and it's well on display here. His story telling is wonderful too. There is intrigue, twists and turns, like the page turner it is based on, without being too pulpy or sensational. Berger finds the right balance to keep us wondering at every turn. 

But for me the best part was the resolution, an ending that doesn't fit the mold. We keep waiting for there to be something nefarious going on and the little deviations along the way keep hinting but end up being more politics than transgressions. So that when we find out what may or may not have been kept hidden, it is something... well... something else entirely that makes us ask other questions about right and wrong, in this case, how this particular historic institution may be right or wrong in how it treats its members. 

So Conclave's strength is in how it uses its plot conceit and genre to make us think about things in a different way while remaining very gripping throughout. 

Conclave
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Isabella Rossellini, Lucian Msamati, Carlos Diehz

Director: Edward Berger

Writer: Peter Staughan