The New Pope
2020
Original language: Italian
- drama
The story
As Pope Pius XIII hangs between life and death in a coma, charming and sophisticated moderate English aristocrat Sir John Brannox is placed on the papal throne and adopts the name John Paul III. A sequel series to “The Young Pope.”
What it’s like
Saturated gold and crimson against cool marble, with the Vatican rendered as a place of gilded corridors, candlelit chapels and sunlit gardens, all shot with Sorrentino's restless, painterly eye: slow dollies through lavish rooms, sudden symmetrical tableaux, and bursts of surreal imagery (a sunbathing crowd, a rain of cardboard cutouts, a sheep-filled lawn) that break the realism without warning. The score leans on lush orchestral swells and sacred choral pieces set against pop and electronic cues, so the sound feels as theatrical as the frames. The vibe is opulent, wry and faintly absurd, with a current of melancholy underneath. It suits a late evening with a glass of wine, or a stretch of binge-watching when you want something ornate and strange rather than cosy. Pacing is deliberate and talky, its conversations sharp and often funny, and the emotional register stays cool and ironic while its central figures, a worldly new pontiff and a frail, scheming predecessor, slowly reveal their vulnerabilities. Intensity is low: some sexual innuendo and nudity, brief moments of blunt cruelty, no real violence or gore. For viewers who enjoy stylish, satirical character drama about power, faith and vanity.
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