20 movies and TV shows about the pope

Pope John Paul II was one of the most important figures of the 20th century, and his legacy continues to shine over the Catholic Church. In 2005, right around the time that he died, he became the subject of a miniseries focusing on his life. Karol: A Man Who Became Pope takes the long view, tracing his life up until the time that he became pope. Though it stops in 1978, the story of his Papacy was continued in the follow-up series, Karol: The Pope, the Man. 

Kidnapped is set in the 19th century and focuses on Edgardo Mortara, a Jewish child who is baptized into Catholicism while still young. When Edgardo’s parents try to get him back, the case ultimately goes to the pope himself (Pius IX), who ends up becoming the youth’s special protector. As a whole, the film is a fascinating look at a key moment in the history of the Catholic Church and, in particular, at the pope, who used his adoption of this particular Jewish boy to help restore prestige and spiritual authority to the crisis-ridden Church.

Strictly speaking, Luther is not about the pope himself, but it is very much about the Papacy and the institution of the Catholic Church writ large. As its title implies, it is very much about Joseph Fiennes’ Martin Luther and the challenge that he posed to the Papacy. Obviously, the pope here (Leo X) is one of the film’s primary antagonists. Though it doesn’t always achieve inspirational storytelling, it is nevertheless a film that looks at the Papacy during one of its moments of acute crisis. 

During his life and afterward, Pope John Paul II was seen as one of the most important men to have been raised to the Papacy. The 2022 film Prophet isn’t strictly speaking about John Paul II, but it is about the man who paved the way for his religious rise: Cardinal Cardinal Wyszynski, who faced down the communist rulers of Poland in defense of the Church. Prophet is, above all else, a testament to a man who was willing to hold tight to his religious principles even in the face of relentless government persecution. 

Pope Francis has been, for many, a breath of fresh air, ushering in a notable atmosphere of reform and change in the Catholic Church. Pope Francis: A Man of His Word, released in 2018, aims to give viewers a more intimate and personal look at one of the world’s most important religious leaders. In this, it more than succeeds. Even those who are not themselves Catholic will nevertheless find themselves moved and touched by this film. More than anything else, it shows the fundamental humanity and decency that Pope Francis has made a key part of his time in the Papacy.

Even though many of the most notable screen stories involving the pope tend to be dramas, there have also been a number of very funny comedies made about this very important religious figure. We Have a Pope, for example, focuses on Cardinal Melville, whose election to the papacy engenders so much panic that he has to hire a psychoanalyst to help him. It provides an amusing and fascinating look at the making of a pope, in the process showing the extent to which this figure is still, when all is said and done, a human being. 

The Borgias have been an object of fascination both during their time and afterward, inspiring numerous films and TV series. One of the most notable of these is the 1981 British series The Borgias, which, as one might imagine, pays quite a lot of attention to the more scandalous aspects of this family during their time at the apex of papal politics. In its own way, the series became as notorious as its subject, and as such, it makes for a fascinating look at the attempts of the BBC to draw in more viewers by leaning into the salacious. 

Conclave, which was released in 2024, is the latest high-profile film to focus on the politics of the papacy. At the center of the story is Ralph Fiennes’ Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, who is one of those who aspires to become the next pope. The film has more than its fair share of twists and turns, but they are executed so meticulously and with such craft that the viewer can’t help but stay engrossed in the film from beginning to end. It is, moreover, a remarkably subtle look at the power and limitations of faith.

The Good Pope, as its title suggests, is more than a little hagiographic in its approach to the life and papacy of John XXIII, who served from 1958 to 1963. Bob Hoskins serves as Pope John, and the film draws attention to his rise to the papacy and the role that he played during the Cold War. Though it has been somewhat overlooked and forgotten since its release, it is nevertheless a fascinating look at one of the most influential popes of the 20th century.

Robbie Coltrane might be most famous for playing Hagrid in the Harry Potter films, but in 1991, he starred in the very funny (and absurdly titled) The Pope Must Die. As one might guess from the title, Coltrane Father C. David "Dave" Albinizi, a priest whose ascent to the papacy, causes him quite a headache when he is immediately a target for the Mafia. The film is unabashedly silly and ridiculous. That’s what makes it such a remarkable representation of the pope.

The Borgias have long cast a spell, and their lives — and their misdeeds, corruption, and sexual escapades — have inspired numerous TV shows and movies. Borgia, like the similarly-titled The Borgias (which ran about the same time), focused on the infamous Spanish family and the power they were able to wield from their perch at the apex of Renaissance Italy. Boasting remarkable performances and sumptuous production values, this series successfully immersed viewers in the cutthroat world of papal politics during one of the most tumultuous and important periods in history.

The figure of Pope Joan, who was supposedly a woman who managed to be elevated to the papacy, is one of the most enduring figures of medieval legend. In 2009, she became the subject of her own film, in which Johanna Wokalek portrayed her. The film focuses on the young woman Johanna who, after an eventful life, ends up becoming pope, only to die in childbirth ultimately. The film is a fascinating look at this tantalizing female figure, and in addition to having a strong and compelling story, it also asks fascinating questions about the nature of gender itself.

Russell Crowe stars in The Pope’s Exorcist, which, as its title suggests, focuses on the pope’s personal exorcist, Gabriele Amorth. The film has a lot of pieces, and overall, it works quite well as a supernatural horror film, with its allusions to Church conspiracies and the powers of the demonic to take over those on Earth. Moreover, Crowe remains as undeniably charming and charismatic as ever, endowing his character with a richness and depth that isn’t always seen in horror films of this type.

Anthony Quinn delivers one of his trademark performances in The Shoes of the Fisherman, in which he plays a Ukrainian archbishop who is unexpectedly raised to the papacy. Once there, he has to contend with a number of international crises as well as more personal conflicts. It’s one of those films that is very much of its moment, particularly given the extent to which Pope Kiril has to commit much of his powers to make sure that the Soviet Union and China do not go to nuclear war with one another.

Dan Brown became one of the most popular authors in the world in the late 20th and early 21st century thanks to his novels that focus on various secrets held by the Catholic Church. Angels and Demons,  like several of his other works, focuses on the adventures of Robert Langdon, played here by Tom Hanks. In this case, Langdon has to try to save several potential popes before they are killed by a radical group of Illuminati. However implausible its storyline might be, it still manages to be a very fun and thrilling film.  

Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins are perfectly cast in The Two Popes. The 2019 film focuses on Pope Benedict XVI and the future Pope Francis as the former prepares to abdicate and seeks to persuade the latter to step into his shoes. Both actors are at the top of their game in their respective roles, with each bearing a striking physical resemblance to their characters. It’s a fascinating — and often wryly humorous — look at two of the most notable figures in the contemporary Catholic Church. 

Picking up largely where The Young Pope left off, The New Pope  stars Jude Law in his role as Pope Pius XIII, but he is joined by John Malkovich. The latter is John Paul III, who assumed the position of Pope after Pius XIII fell into a coma, and his first replacement died after trying to implement radical reforms. This series has as many twists and turns and changes of fortune as its predecessor. While some of this verges on the ridiculous, the power of the central performances is strong enough to keep it from ever diverging fully into camp.

Jude Law gives an electric and terrifying performance in The Young Pope, in which he plays the title character. The series focuses on Pius XIII who, after emerging as a compromise candidate, soon begins to turn the Vatican upside down with his many reforms. It manages to be melodramatically overwrought and quite funny. Law’s Pius is compelling and terrifying — precisely why he’s so charismatic and handsome — and it’s easy to see how such a figure truly could come to dominate the Church despite or because of his outlandish reforms. 

Based on the beloved novel Irving Stone’s novel of the same name, The Agony and the Ecstasy focuses on the fraught relationship between Michelangelo and Pope Julius II. Though slow-moving at times, both Charlton Heston and Rex Harrison give remarkable performances (as the artist and the pope, respectively). The film is, moreover, a rumination on the power of art and the human spirit, even as it is also a portrait of two very large and domineering personalities locked in a potent conflict. 

Jeremy Irons headlines The Borgias, the sumptuous costume drama from Showtime. Much like its predecessor The Tudors, this series focuses on a debauched family at the height of their powers. White it takes numerous liberties with history, it does paint a fascinating and compulsively watchable portrait of one of the most infamous families of the Renaissance. Irons chews the scenery as Pope Alexander VI (originally Rodrigo Borgia) as he schemes and manipulates himself onto the Papal Throne, and he’s supported by a talented cast that includes François Arnaud, David Oakes, and Holliday Grainger.