Frustrated with the direction of the church, Cardinal Bergoglio requests permission to retire in 2012 from Pope Benedict. Instead, facing scandal and self-doubt, the introspective Pope Benedict summons his harshest critic and future successor to Rome to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church.
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Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• Joseph Ratzinger / Pope Benedict XVI: Anthony Hopkins
• Jorge Bergoglio / Pope Francis: Jonathan Pryce
• Young Jorge Bergoglio: Juan Minujín
• Cardinal Hummes: Luis Gnecco
• Lisabetta: Cristina Banegas
• Esther Ballestrine: María Ucedo
• Camerlengo: Renato Scarpa
• Cardinal Turkson: Sidney Cole
• Cardinal Martini: Achille Brugnini
• Protodeacon Estevez: Federico Torre
• Father Yorio: Germán de Silva
• Father Jalics: Lisandro Fiks
• Roberto: Libero De Rienzo
• Cardinal Arinze: Willie Jonah
• Amalia Damonte: Sofia Mayra Cessak
• Driver: Vincent Riotta
• Gandolfo Nun: Daphne Mereu
• Gandolfo Nun: Martina Sammarco
• Paolo: Juan Miguel Arias
• Unknown Priest: Daniel Juan di Cocco
• Admiral Massera: Josello Bella
• Captain Artiz: Luis Alfredo Huerga Reyna
• Tonio: Andres Carlos Zurita
• Father Pepe: Guido Nicolas Losantos
• Papal Gardener: Nicola Acunzo
• Slum Man: Sergio Santana
• Nun: Cecilia Dazzi
• Amalia’s Mother: Maria Florencia Larrea Arias
• Father Mugica: Hernan Acentares
• Ana Maria Careaga: Abril Chiara Castelli
• Father Dourron: Luciano Kaczer
• Lorenzo: Francesco di Teodoro
• Luis: Walter Fabian Andrade
• Woman with News: Natalia Constanza Salmoral
• Fan: Roberto Olivieri
• American Journalist: Thomas D. Williams
• Peasant: Cristobal Mamani
• Peasant: Olivia Sandy Torres
• Old Man: Adalid Paredes Blanco
• Poor Woman: Bonilla Del Valle
• Protodeacon Tauran: Sergio Nicolai
• Cardinal Quarracino: Daniel Hernandez
• Protester: Luciano Borges
• Protester: Facundo Cardosi
• Protester: Federico Falasco
• Lisabetta’s Husband: Rafael Fernandez
• Tango Club Boss: Ricardo Larrama
• Ricardo Capelli: Leon Barra
• Military Assistant: Juan Manuel Correa
• Military Assistant: Ramiro Vayo
• Tongui Soldier: Pablo Trimarchi
• Drug Dealer: Lucas Posse
• Drug Dealer: Alan Nicolás Gómez
• Drug Dealer: Joaquin Rotzait
• Drug Dealer: Simon Hempe
• Swiss Guard: Lorenzo Vigevano
• Swiss Guard: Alessandro Piavani
• Reporter: Katherine Wilson
• Reporter: Matthew T. Reynolds
• Reporter: Marcela Serli
• Reporter: Miguel Ángel Tarditti
• Himself (archive footage): Pope Benedict XVI
• Himself (archive footage): Pope Francis

Film Crew:

• Production Designer: Mark Tildesley
• Director: Fernando Meirelles
• Director of Photography: César Charlone
• Producer: Tracey Seaward
• Casting: Nina Gold
• Set Decoration: Véronique Melery
• Casting: Barbara Giordani
• Producer: Dan Lin
• Art Direction: Saverio Sammali
• Original Music Composer: Bryce Dessner
• Screenplay: Anthony McCarten
• Casting: Javier Braier
• Makeup Designer: Marese Langan
• Costume Designer: Luca Canfora
• Editor: Fernando Stutz
• Producer: Jonathan Eirich
• Set Decoration: Livia Del Priore
• Costume Designer: Beatriz Di Benedetto
• Executive Producer: Mark Bauch
• Casting: Gabriel Villegas
• Casting: Francisco Vedovati
• Visual Effects Producer: Karl Kuehn

Movie Reviews:

• MSB: Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce deliver two award-worthy performances, elevating a surprisingly humorous story about religion. Not a fan of the editing and the film goes on for a bit too long.

  Rating: B

• CinemaSerf: This is quite a clever piece of work. Both performances demonstrate a complex, sometimes conflicted, humanity in a touching and thought-provoking way. Hopkins, as the scholarly Benedict XVI coming to realise that he no longer feels capable – for various reasons – to remain Pontiff and Pryce as Cardinal Bergoglio with whom he has little in common, and who has come to Rome to seek his permission to retire. The story focuses more on the trials and tribulations of Bergoglio as he rises to prominence in the Jesuit order and navigates the political turmoil of Argentina in the 70s and 80s where he develops a much less “conservative” approach to the issues facing the Catholic Church than his Pope. By the conclusion, however, both men appear reconciled to the honesty and integrity of the other. The extent to which the detail is true is anyone’s guess – but by using humour, sport and even ABBA, this proves to be an intimate observational film that is certainly one of Netflix’ better commissions.