The Two Popes (2019) on Netflix
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires asks Pope Benedict XVI to accept his resignation, frustrated by the course the church is taking. The pope summons him to Rome.
- Netflix4.1/5
- IMDb7.6/10148,088 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes88%
Trailer
Plot summary
In April 2005, after the death of Pope John Paul II, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, travels to the Vatican for the election of a new pope. The cardinals choose Joseph Ratzinger, a German prelate, as Pope Benedict XVI, and Bergoglio receives the second-highest vote count. Seven years later, the Vatican leaks scandal has tainted Benedict's tenure, and public accusations concern his part in a coverup. Bergoglio has sent his resignation as archbishop and received no reply. Summoned to the Vatican, he meets Benedict at Castel Gandolfo, where the two debate God and the church.
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Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Two Popes (2019)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- A full-size replica of the Sistine Chapel interior was built in a studio over eight weeks for The Two Popes, and the producers hired a company to make a "stick-on tattoo" of the walls and ceiling. Production designer Mark Tildesley said the ink absorbed into the plaster gave the set its texture and vibrancy.
- After Pope Francis died in April 2025, The Two Popes regained popularity on Netflix, with viewership rising 417 percent, and the similarly themed 2024 film Conclave saw a similar increase. Both were recommended by critics at The New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle.
