---
title: "The Two Popes"
year: 2019
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-two-popes"
fi1m_id: "the-two-popes"
imdb_id: "tt8404614"
tmdb_id: 551332
wikidata_id: "Q58894738"
fi1m_score: 75
critics_score: 74
critics_reviews: 23
published: "2026-10-03T01:04:26.877337+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-03T01:04:27.337021+00:00"
region: "IE"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Two Popes (2019)

Directed by Fernando Meirelles · 2h 05m · IFCO 12A · Drama, History

## Identity

The Two Popes

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-two-popes
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-two-popes
- **IMDb ID:** tt8404614
- **TMDB ID:** 551332
- **Wikidata ID:** Q58894738
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8404614/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/551332, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58894738

**Fi1m score: 75** · Critics 74 from 23 reviews

*In a sentence:* Two popes, two fine actors, and a camera that could learn something about sitting still

> Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins make this imagined papal conversation funny and affecting enough to recommend. Fernando Meirelles is less convincing when he asks their warmth to compensate for the film’s gentle handling of the Church’s failings.

## Synopsis

Jorge Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) and Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) face a disagreement about the direction of the Church. Bergoglio’s approach to its future differs from Benedict’s, and their conversations bring the dispute down to two men trying to explain themselves to each other. Cardinal Hummes (Luis Gnecco) is part of the surrounding Church hierarchy. As the two central figures discuss faith, responsibility and change, their contrasting temperaments complicate the exchange. The drama imagines their private conversations, with the Church’s future at stake and neither man’s position easily set aside.

## Review

*The Two Popes* is worth an evening for Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins, though we would not mistake its friendliness for a searching examination of the Church. Fernando Meirelles builds the drama around two men talking through differences that reach far beyond either of them. The attraction is watching capable actors give those disagreements some personal weight. The reservation is that the film becomes so pleased with their company that it stops pressing them quite as hard as it should.

Anthony McCarten’s imagined exchanges have enough humour to make us understand why each man might keep listening to the other. A conversational drama needs that curiosity, especially when its speakers arrive with such settled public identities. Sometimes the dialogue explains a position too thoroughly, leaving the actor to disguise a small lecture as an exchange. The leads usually manage it, but we can occasionally hear the screenplay making sure that nobody has missed the point.

Jonathan Pryce plays Jorge Bergoglio with an openness that makes listening worth watching. His warmth matters because a conversation about the future of the Church could easily become a succession of speeches with polite gaps between them. He gives his partner room, and the exchanges acquire an ease the writing cannot always provide on its own. The limitation is in the portrait: the film is so disposed to like Bergoglio that his convictions receive less testing than they need.

Anthony Hopkins makes Pope Benedict XVI the more troubling and, for us, more interesting presence. We were moved by his vulnerability in the conversations. The performance lets uncertainty intrude on a man whose position seems to demand certainty, so his need to be understood carries an unexpected sadness. That does more to make the disagreement matter than the film’s efforts to reassure us that these men can get along.

César Charlone’s restless cinematography is the part of the film we would most readily quieten down. Fernando Meirelles keeps looking for visual energy when the interest is already in the two performances, and the extra activity sometimes distracts from the conversation. Fernando Stutz’s editing faces a different problem in the flashbacks, where the pace slackens as more of Bergoglio’s past is supplied. Juan Minujín plays Young Jorge Bergoglio, but the extended attention to one man’s history leaves the other unevenly explored.

Mark Tildesley’s production design helps establish the importance of the office without overwhelming the people who hold it. That restraint is useful in a film already inclined to make a great deal of its setting. Bryce Dessner’s music is sympathetic to the warmth of the performances, although we need little encouragement to feel it. We would happily trade some of that reassurance for longer stretches in which the voices alone carry the scene.

The larger difficulty is the gentle treatment of institutional scandal, including abuse, which cannot be settled by making the people at the top more likeable. The film acknowledges troubling questions, then devotes much more care to the pleasures of companionship than to pursuing them. Its humour and the responsiveness of its leads keep it engaging, even when the scrutiny becomes too comfortable. Watch it for the actors, and be wary when their charm starts doing the institution’s work.

*Fi1m score 75, published 3 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find The Two Popes an entertaining, thoughtful drama, with praise concentrated on Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce. Their chemistry makes the conversations lively and affecting, and even less enthusiastic reviews find much to admire in the performances. The dialogue also earns broad approval for its wit and warmth, with many critics finding the central relationship compelling enough to carry a film built largely around talk.

The reservations concern how much that warmth softens the subject. Several reviews question the treatment of Church scandals, while others find the flashbacks cumbersome or the visual flourishes distracting. The spread runs from enthusiastic approval to a lone strongly negative verdict: Slant Magazine argues that sentimentality comes at the expense of confronting institutional corruption. There is also a direct split over credibility: Sight and Sound finds the drama plausible, while The AV Club considers the imagined conversation unconvincing and the exposition clumsy.

## Straight answers

**Is The Two Popes worth watching?**

*The Two Popes* is worth watching for Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins’s funny, affecting performances, and we score it 75 out of 100. We recommend it to viewers who enjoy conversational drama, with a reservation: its warmth towards the two men comes at the expense of harder questions about the Church’s failings.

**How long is The Two Popes, and what is it rated?**

*The Two Popes* runs 2h 05m and is rated 12A by the IFCO in Ireland. It is a drama and history film.

**Where can I watch The Two Popes in Ireland?**

*The Two Popes* is streaming on Netflix in Ireland. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is The Two Popes, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Two Popes* has a UK 12A certificate, so children under 12 need an accompanying adult at the cinema. Its conversations address institutional scandal, including abuse; we would steer families towards it for older children interested in faith and responsibility, rather than treat its humour and warmth as signs of light viewing.

**How does The Two Popes compare to Of Gods and Men?**

*The Two Popes* is the warmer, more conversational choice beside [*Of Gods and Men*](https://film.one/film/of-gods-and-men), which we recommend for a more searching examination of faith and responsibility. Pryce and Hopkins make the papal disagreements engaging, but the film softens difficult questions; the slower account of monks facing danger in Algeria offers fewer comforts and greater emotional force.

**What should I watch after The Two Popes?**

After *The Two Popes*, try [*Of Gods and Men*](https://film.one/film/of-gods-and-men) (2010, Fi1m 84): Faith and responsibility examined through a community facing decisions without comfortable answers. Then [*The Remains of the Day*](https://film.one/film/the-remains-of-the-day) (1993, Fi1m 88): Another Anthony Hopkins performance in which duty makes ordinary intimacy painfully difficult; and [*Ikiru*](https://film.one/film/ikiru) (1952, Fi1m 92): An ageing official considers what his position has allowed him to accomplish.

### Reviews we read (23)

- **Empire**, Ian Freer (90/100, inferred): Freer finds the film funny, engrossing and thoughtful, calling it Meirelles’ most entertaining work in years. He especially praises Hopkins and Pryce, whose performances and chemistry bring the central relationship to life. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-two-popes/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Stephen Farber (90/100, inferred): Farber calls the film a triumph, praising its writing and the lead performances. He particularly singles out Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce for matching each other in subtlety and charisma. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/two-popes-review-1235993/)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (90/100, inferred): Debruge finds the drama brilliant, emotionally engaging, and thoughtful about the Church’s future. He especially praises the performances of Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce and the film’s deft, spirited dialogue. [Read](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-two-popes-review-1203321085/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (85/100, inferred): Turan finds the film a lively, crowd-pleasing drama with a serious side. He especially praises Hopkins and Pryce, whose performances make the conversations between the two leaders compelling. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-11-26/two-popes-review-netflix-hopkins-pryce)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (4/5): O'Sullivan calls the film an intelligent, moving tragi-comedy and says it is a pleasure to watch. She singles out Jonathan Pryce's superlative performance, alongside the nimble script and zippy visuals. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-two-popes-review-jonathan-pryce-shines-in-intelligent-and-moving-tragi-comedy-a4300841.html)
- **Radio Times**, Andrew Collins (4/5): Collins presents the film as an entertaining two-hander, with both lead performances singled out for praise. He highlights the actors’ barnstorming work in a story built around their conversations. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-cnt66n/the-two-popes/)
- **Sight and Sound**, Philip Kemp (80/100, inferred): Kemp finds the film remarkably plausible, consistently watchable and ultimately riveting, despite occasional cosiness. He especially praises the dialogue and the performances by Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/two-popes-review-opposites-attract-this-brilliantly-acted-tale-papal-succession)
- **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (4/5): The review finds the film entertaining, with its strongest moments coming from the central pairing. It praises Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce as a delightful odd-couple duo. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-two-popes)
- **Vulture**, Alison Willmore (75/100, inferred): Willmore finds the film surprisingly compelling, though its talkiness and idealized portrayal of Francis hold it back. She especially praises Anthony Hopkins’s vulnerable performance as Benedict XVI. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2019/11/movie-review-the-two-popes-starring-anthony-hopkins.html)
- **IndieWire**, Eric Kohn (B-): Kohn finds the film charming and accessible, though its light tone and softened treatment of church scandals limit its depth. He especially praises Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins, whose chemistry and performances bring warmth to the story. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-two-popes-review-anthony-hopkins-jonathan-pryce-1202170383/)
- **Screen Daily**, Fionnuala Halligan (70/100, inferred): The available standfirst gives a positive impression of the film. It singles out Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce as a formidable team. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-two-popes-toronto-review/5142697.article)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The URL identifies a review of the matching film, but the page content is blocked. The critic’s verdict and any particular praise or complaint cannot be determined from the available text. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/26/movies/the-two-popes-review.html)
- **The AV Club**, Mike D'Angelo (C+): D’Angelo finds the film unconvincing, calling its imagined conversation between the popes implausible and its exposition clumsy. He praises Hopkins and Pryce for bringing gusto to the dialogue despite their accents. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-two-popes-dreams-up-an-unconvincing-talk-between-th-1840050517)
- **Little White Lies**, Charles Bramesco (2/3/4): Bramesco finds the film intellectually rich but says Meirelles’s visual flourishes distract from its central performances. He praises Hopkins and Pryce for making the characters’ inner lives and contradictions compelling. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-two-popes)
- **The Guardian**, Wendy Ide (3/5): Ide finds the fact-based drama unexpectedly entertaining, though its flashbacks and faltering pace weaken the second half. She especially praises Jonathan Pryce’s performance for engaging with and embracing the rest of the cast. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/dec/01/the-two-popes-review-anthony-hopkins-jonathan-pryce-netflix)
- **Slant Magazine**, Pat Brown (1.5/4): Brown argues that the film sentimentalizes the relationship between the two popes while sidestepping institutional corruption. The review criticizes its dated, distracting camerawork and its handling of the abuse scandal. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-two-popes-review-anthony-hopkins-jonathan-pryce/)
- **Eye for Film**, Anne-Katrin Titze (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the film captivating and warmly engaging, especially when the two central characters talk and respond to one another. She also praises the visual storytelling and performances, while wishing the film had explored young Ratzinger’s past as fully as Bergoglio’s. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-two-popes-2019-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze)
- **The Wrap** (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the film delightful, entertaining, and heartwarming. They especially praise the witty script and the chemistry between Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/the-two-popes-film-review-fernando-meirelles-anthony-hopkins-jonathan-pryce/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B+): Goldberg finds the film an engaging, thoughtful character study that humanizes its two popes. He especially praises the performances of Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins, while noting the film could explore their differing approaches to the Church more deeply. [Read](https://collider.com/the-two-popes-review-netflix/)
- **Consequence**, Robert Daniels (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film well-crafted and entertaining, with a minor missed opportunity in its treatment of Ratzinger’s past. Pryce and Hopkins’ chemistry and performances are singled out for praise. [Read](https://consequence.net/2019/12/film-review-the-two-popes/)
- **NME** (75/100, inferred): The review finds the film an enjoyable, occasionally ponderous drama. It especially praises the chemistry between Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins, and the moments when their characters’ relationship comes alive. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/two-popes-review-netflix-2590134)
- **HeyUGuys** (70/100, inferred): The review calls the film impressive and eminently reliable, though not a standout for its director or stars. It praises the lead performances and Meirelles’s direction, especially the poignant sequences revealing Francis’s past. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-two-popes-review/)
- **Polygon**, Karen Han (65/100, inferred): Han finds the film engaging but held back by its reliance on real-life backstory and its glossing over institutional scandals. She especially praises the lively, affecting performances and sparring between Pryce and Hopkins. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/2019/12/21/21033465/the-two-popes-review-netflix/)

## Details

- **Director:** Fernando Meirelles
- **Director:** Fernando Meirelles
- **Writer:** Anthony McCarten
- **Cinematography:** César Charlone
- **Editor:** Fernando Stutz
- **Music:** Bryce Dessner
- **Production design:** Mark Tildesley
- **Costume design:** Beatriz di Benedetto, Luca Canfora
- **Producer:** Leticia Cristi, Tracey Seaward, Dan Lin
- **Cast:** Jonathan Pryce as Jorge Bergoglio / Pope Francis; Anthony Hopkins as Joseph Ratzinger / Pope Benedict XVI; Juan Minujín as Young Jorge Bergoglio; Luis Gnecco as Cardinal Hummes; Cristina Banegas as Lisabetta; María Ucedo as Esther Ballestrine; Renato Scarpa as Camerlengo; Sidney Cole as Cardinal Turkson
- **Runtime:** 2h 05m
- **Certificate (IFCO):** 12A
- **Release (Ireland):** 20 December 2019
- **Genres:** Drama, History
- **Also in:** [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 2019)
- **Box office:** $232,638
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5OhkFY1PQE

## Where to watch in Ireland

- Netflix: streaming

*Checked 2026-10-03.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *My Dinner with Andre* (1981): Two people talking, with enough curiosity to make the disagreements absorbing.
- *Of Gods and Men* (2010), Fi1m 84: Faith and responsibility examined through a community facing decisions without comfortable answers. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/of-gods-and-men.md)
- *The Remains of the Day* (1993), Fi1m 88: Another Anthony Hopkins performance in which duty makes ordinary intimacy painfully difficult. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-remains-of-the-day.md)
- *We Have a Pope* (2011): A more anxious papal comedy, alert to the person trapped inside the office.
- *Ikiru* (1952), Fi1m 92: An ageing official considers what his position has allowed him to accomplish. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ikiru.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-two-popes