The Latin term Sede vacante means “with the chair [being] vacant.” In the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, it refers to the circumstance when a diocese or archdiocese is forced to operate without a prelate (a high-ranking official) in office. Most notably the term enters the mainstream upon the death of a serving pope. When that happens, a papal conclave is formed, in which the College of Cardinals assemble to elect a new leader: it is a fast-paced, anxious period of voting. This is director Edward Berger’s central plot point in Conclave. Starring Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, the film follows the group of clergymen charged with electing the replacement for a just-deceased pontiff. From inside the Vatican, they remain God-fearing, speaking in muted tones: but that doesn’t mean there aren’t personal agendas at play. Conclave is tense and exciting, and Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini all deliver. —Jack Sullivan