Conclave is the most "babygirl" film of the 2025 Oscars

In the end, after months of waiting, scandals, speculation, and controversy, the Oscars came and went, leaving us with a sense of emptiness. Anora won (almost) everything, Timothée Chalamet went home without a statuette, and Emilia Pérez left nearly empty-handed. Some were surprised, others disappointed, some saw it coming, while others hoped for recognition for Demi Moore. But the true winner of this awards season was just one: the admin of the PopeCrave Twitter account, who led a full-fledged social campaign for Conclave, Edward Berger’s film starring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci, ultimately crowning it as the season’s most babygirl movie. You read that right.

Conclave is Twitter’s winner (and the Oscar winner for Best Adapted Screenplay)

In Conclave, based on Robert Harris’s novel, the Pope dies suddenly, leaving it up to the character played by Ralph Fiennes to initiate (and navigate) the conclave—the assembly responsible for electing the next Pontiff. What may seem from the outside like an old, sacred, formulaic institution, divinely inspired—or, conversely, of pure formality—is actually a highly delicate political machine. Our protagonist must use all his diplomatic skills not only to see it through but also to ensure a positive outcome for a Church in crisis, its marketing, and its reputation. Among this three-ring circus, some cardinals stand out, including Sergio Castellitto. Each candidate for the position has their own secrets, doubts, and tricks. Adding to the complexity is a surprise cardinal, Vincent Benitez, a Mexican missionary.  The cinematography is evocative yet precise, achieving a formal and aesthetic perfection that is serene—it doesn’t shout, it sings. The only things that do shout, at times, are the red robes of the cardinals, standing out against the Vatican’s imposing architecture like robins in the snow.

That alone would be enough to captivate any cinema enthusiast. But how do we explain the fervor of social media users? Simple: the cardinals—especially a couple of them—are extremely snarky, or as Twitter would put it, "sassy" and maybe even "cunty." The intrigue is endless, and the nun, Isabella Rossellini, is fierce and determined, ready to fight for a fair election. Watching the film feels like—and this is a huge compliment—Mean Girls if Mean Girls were a high-stakes drama about the modern Church rather than a U.S. high school. The cherry on top? The homoerotic undertones between Fiennes and Tucci, plus the ending—which we won’t spoil but that, somewhat unexpectedly, throws everything into delightful chaos in the most fascinating way. Because if humanity slips out of religion’s grasp, then religion must open itself up to humanity and its complexity. It has no other choice.

The memes about Conclave

The internet’s attention (and humor) quickly focused on certain moments: the scene where Fiennes and Tucci confess their feelings (more or less) to each other, the one where Fiennes returns the late Pope’s turtle (which PopeCrave hilariously replaced with the film’s latest award using amateurish but therefore even funnier edits), the inspiring speech by Cardinal Benitez after the conclave chamber collapses, and, most amusingly, the scene where Cardinal Tedesco (the conservative played by Sergio Castellitto) smokes with a red vape that perfectly matches his robes. This moment even spawned fancams set to various Charli XCX songs because, as Twitter decrees, "Tedesco is Brat." It’s just another testament to how unpredictable and entertaining the internet can be—and how even a film like Conclave can bring not only laughter but also comfort and a sense of community.