Official news from the Vatican stated that Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025 at the age of 88. To get to know the Pope more closely, there are several movies titles about the Popes that you can choose from. The movies vary from movies about the election of the Pope, biographical dramas, to movies with a thriller genre that tells the story of the figure.
The great influence of the Pope has prompted filmmakers around the world to make movies about the Pope and Catholicism. These movie titles can deepen our knowledge about the leader of the Catholic Church around the world, including the dynamic process of selecting a Pope.
List of Movies about the Popes
1. Angels & Demons (2009)
This mystery thriller adaptation of Dan Brown’s bestselling novel of the same name tells the story of the conclave following the death of the Pope at the Vatican. Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), has the task of solving the symbols of the illuminati group that threatens to kill the cardinals in succession. You can also watch this movie on the Netflix streaming platform.
2. Francis: The Pope From the New World (2013)
Francis: The Pope From the New World is a movie that reveals the extraordinary charm and dedication of Pope Francis. The movie highlights his humble character and concern for people around the world.
A collaboration between Knights of Columbus, David Naglieri, and Michèle Nuzzo on this film, which first aired on September 1, 2013.
3. Call Me Francis (2015)
Call Me Francis is a four-part biography from Italy that chronicles the life of Pope Francis. The movie features Rodrigo de la Serna and tells the story of Pope Francis’ youth who spent much of his time in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
One of the movie recommendations about the Pope also describes the struggle of the young Pope Francis. At that time he had to face difficult times under the dictatorial rule of former Argentine President Jorge Rafael Videla. The story ends with the inauguration of Pope Francis as the leader of the Catholic Church in 2013.
4. Francis: Pray For Me (2015)
The next movies about the Popes was still in the same year, 2015, Argentina also launched a biographical drama entitled Francis: Pray for Me. We get to see the life of Pope Francis portrayed through the eyes of a Spanish journalist named Ana.
The movie is an adaptation of the book Pope Francis: Life and Revolution, which was published in 2013. The book is the work of author Elisabetta Pique, a close friend of Francis and correspondent for Argentine newspapers in Italy and the Vatican since 1999.
5. Pope Francis: A Man of His World (2018)
Next up is Pope Francis: A Man of His World, a documentary that features Pope Francis as its main character. In the production by Wim Wenders, Pope Francis talks about various things, especially the importance of spreading peace around the world.
In this movie, Pope Francis responds to questions posed by Wim by facing the camera directly, giving the impression that he is delivering a message directly to his people.
In addition, we will also see footage of Pope Francis visiting several countries. The movie was first shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018.
6. The Two Popes (2019)
The Two Popes is a drama biopic produced by Netflix and featuring Jonathan Pryce. The movie provides many scenes of richly imagined conversations between two important figures in the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
The story focuses on the reasons behind Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to resign in 2013, which was a very surprising event in the history of the modern Catholic Church. During meetings at the Vatican and Castel Gandolfo, the two Popes engaged in deep conversations about faith, principles and the future of the church.
7. Francesco (2020)
Francesco is a documentary film by director Evgeny Afineevsky. The movie tells the story of Pope Francis’ journey in carrying out his role as the main leader of Catholics around the world.
In this movie, Pope Francis tries to spread the message of peace and fight for the rights of refugees, such as the Rohingya refugees. However, there is a controversial statement made by Pope Francis in this movie. He states that individuals who have a homosexual sexual orientation have the same right to be part of a family.
8. The Letter: A Message for Our Earth (2022)
Next up is the documentary The Letter: A Message for Our Earth. The movie presents the powerful message contained in Pope Francis’ second encyclical, Laudato Si’.
The content of the encyclical strongly criticizes the lifestyle of consumerism and uncontrolled development, and raises deep concerns about the environmental crisis and its impact on humanity.
Nicolas Brown acted as director in this movie produced as part of YouTube Originals. The premiere of the film was held at the Vatican on October 4, 2022 before its global release through the YouTube Originals channel.
In addition to Pope Francis, inspiring figures such as Raniero Cantalamessa, Lorna Gold, Ridhima Pandey, Arouna Kande, Cacique Dadá, Greg Asner, and Robin Martin are featured in the film, representing voices from around the world that are directly affected by the climate crisis.
9. In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis (2022)
The movie “In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis” depicts Pope Francis’ travels to more than 50 countries around the world during his nine-year pontificate. It highlights issues related to poverty, migration, the environment, solidarity and conflict.
The film is the work of Gianfranco Rosi and was first shown at the 79th Venice International Film Festival in 2022, with Pope Francis himself in the lead role.
10. Conclave (2024)
The next movies about the Popes is Conclave. Conclave is a movie that tells the story of political events within the Vatican during the process of electing a new Pope. The movie won an Oscar in 2025 in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.
Conclave features talented actors such as Ralph Fiennes, who earned his third Oscar nomination for his role as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence. In addition, Isabella Rossellini also earned her first nomination as Best Supporting Actress for her role as Sister Agnes.
Conclave’s Oscar-winning achievement came at the same time as news broke of Pope Francis’ health condition and respiratory problems, although there was no direct connection. The movie’s win further draws public attention to the papal election process and the dynamics that occur within it.
