"Conclave is packed with unexpected twists and its final reveal is one viewers will never see coming, an increasingly rare occurrence in modern movie-making and the mark of an impeccably crafted thriller," Entertainment Weekly 's critic raved in their review.

What happens after a pope dies? Many are asking this as the 88-year-old pontiff has been in the hospital since Feb. 14.

Conclave — which stars Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini — tells the story of a papal conclave, a meeting where dozens of Catholic priests gather at the Vatican to select a new pope. In recent days, headlines surrounding Pope Francis’ health have led many online to point out the eerie timing of the medical episode.

Conclave,” an Oscar nominee, has provided a peek at the Vatican’s secret rituals at a time when the faithful are praying that life will not imitate art.

As Pope Francis prepared to spend the 12th anniversary of his election at Rome's Gemelli hospital, people at the Vatican and around the world were responding to his most frequent personal request.

There are some movies that are more pious, but, I think, less faithful to the drama of Catholicism,' said Vatican expert Massimo Faggioli.

Although director Edward Berger tends to sensationalize papal conclaves in “Conclave,” the film nonetheless gives audiences a glimpse into hypothetical factionalism and controversies that sway the votes of cardinal electors during these rare gatherings.

Only cardinals under 80 are allowed to vote in the papal conclave, according to Catholic Church regulations. The historic election process will see participation of Indian cardinals. Around 138 of the 252 cardinals worldwide are currently eligible for the process, according to the College of Cardinals Report website.

Conclave,” based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Robert Harris, nabbed the award for best adapted screenplay. The novel follows the complicated, sometimes underhanded twists and turns of a papal conclave created to elect a new pope after the previous one dies.

Even Hollywood, which has lavished honors on the film, would have some reservations about actually producing such a plot.