A load of old men locked in a room together to decide which one of them will get to be the boss, it’s the stuff thrillers are made of right? Based on the Robert Harris bestseller, the sudden death of the Pope triggers a Papal election, with every eligible cardinal sequestered from the outside world for a series of votes. Tasked with overseeing the conclave, Cardinal Lawrence (an awards-worthy Ralph Fiennes) attempts to remain impartial and not be drawn into faction politics while dark secrets in the front runners’ pasts begin to surface. This is impeccably constructed, pristinely performed old-fashioned filmmaking that proves effective thrillers can be talky and self-contained as long as the characters and their clashes of personality are interesting. CONCLAVE is a film made in its small moments, in director Edward Berger’s control over every facet, drip-feeding you information until the final shocking twist. This is subtle, but still a good deal more exciting than the majority of mainstream fare. SSP