What goes down here is unholy and massively entertaining.

In the election of a new pope, which is called a conclave, politics and religion emerges. Even in this world, there is corruption within, and what goes on has us glued to the screen in “Conclave.” I saw this movie a few weeks ago, and I needed some time to digest on what goes down within the story, and I won’t spoil anything for you readers.

In my opinion, movies, religion, and politics have a lot in common regarding opinions and corruption. Sometimes, it can be safe and sometimes, it can be dangerous. And watching “Conclave” is an entertaining blend of those things-knowing the stakes, bringing excellent performances, and unexpected scenes and words.

As the film begins, the pope (Bruno Novelli) has passed away, and a conclave must take place in order to determine who the successor should be. But there’s a lot of baggage, regarding sins and betrayals, which begin to set things in motion.

The newspapers suggest that Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) should be the new pope, but he doesn’t want to be. In fact, he wanted to resign as the dean of the group, because of how he begins to lose his faith, but the last pope denied it. The new Spanish cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz), who arrives unexpectedly (at least to the many other cardinals), actually votes for him, much to his dismay.

As the conclave continues and the voting commences, we acknowledge a lot of problems with the other cardinals like Tremblay (John Lithgow) and Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati). And the liberal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), who was one of the pope’s closet cardinals, wants Lawrence to thwart the plans of the conservative Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castelitto), who wants to return to Vatican traditions. And in Bellini’s words: “This is a war,” and he wants Lawrence to pick a side in this.

“Conclave” is the American debut for director Edward Berger, who also made the glorious and haunting “All Quiet on the Western Front.” His latest entry, which is also based on Robert Harris’ book with the screenplay by Peter Straughan (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”), has dialogue and dangers that makes it a brilliant political film as well as a religious film. It’s practically an example on how these two can be unholy partners. In fact, they both feature corruption and importance in general.

Fiennes gives one of his most brilliant and complete performances as a man dealing with the magnitudes of what goes down during the conclave. He confronts the men based on their past sins, and whether or not they’re are fit to be elected pope. I’ve never heard of Diehz and I wouldn’t have recognized his name in the credits, but he is marvelous here. You also get some daring supporting work from the likes of Lithgow, Tucci, Msasmati, Isabelle Rossellini (as the nun Sister Agnes), and Balkissa Souley Maiga (as a Nigerian nun named Sister Shanumi). And yet, none of these actors try to steal the show. They’re committed to their roles, and Berger’s direction and ambiance allows them to ignite their characters.

Even if the screenplay gets a little complicated, we can still read between the lines about the sins within the Vatican, and what comes out of them. To watch “Conclave” is to hear its characters, acknowledge their issues, and see whether or not they’re able to deal with them. Whatever genre this movie qualifies itself in, and given the fact that it deals with politics and sins, I was reminded of movies like “Spotlight” or “All the President’s Men.” However you view this movie will come from different perspectives. For me, this is the way I saw the film, and I’m riveted I did.