Megyn Kelly slams Golden Globe winner 'Conclave,' spoils ending

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Ahead of its Golden Globe win for Best Screenplay, Megyn Kelly lashed into Conclave, accusing the papal thriller of being “anti-Catholic.”

Based on Robert Harris’ 2016 bestseller, and featuring an ensemble cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Lucian Msamati and Vancouver-based Carlos Diehz, the Edward Berger-directed thriller takes moviegoers inside the Vatican as various cardinals scheme and backstab one another for the Catholic Church’s top job.

“Just made the huge mistake of watching the much-celebrated Conclave and it is the most disgusting anti-Catholic film I have seen in a long time,” Kelly wrote to her 3.4 million followers on X. “Shame on Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci & John Lithgow for starring in it & shame on director Edward Berger (among others).”

Kelly also blasted the the film’s ending, which concluded with a plot twist in which the newly elected pope (Diehz) reveals he is intersex. 

“They make THE POPE INTERSEX! This is the big exciting twist at the end. I wish I had known so I wouldn’t have watched it,” the conservative commentator continued. “There are almost no redeeming characters in the movie – every cardinal is morally bankrupt/repulsive. The only exception of course is the intersex pope (who – surprise! – has female reproductive parts) & the cardinal who keeps her secret – (because) of course that kind of Catholic secret-keeping must be lionized.”

Kelly said she was “disgusted” after watching the film, which boasts a 93% fresh rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, unfold.

“What a thing to release to streaming just in time for Christmas,” Kelly said. “They would never do this to Muslims, but Christians/Catholics are always fair game to mock/belittle/smear.”

Kelly’s post generated over 56,000 likes and over 4.9 million views on X, with many of her followers siding with her criticisms.

“Think about how many levels of approval that had to go through and how much money they spent on it,” one person wrote, with another adding, “I took this as an attack on all Believers.”

“I’m not a Catholic and I was fiercely offended by the ending,” a third person fumed. “Once again, ‘they’ have made a mockery of one of the most revered rituals of the church. … More and more, it seems like almost nothing is held sacred any longer.”

But Conclave screenwriter Peter Straughan stood by the film after learning about Kelly’s comments. 

“I don’t think the film is anti-Catholic,” Straughan said in the press room following his win at the Globes Sunday (per The Wrap). “I was brought up Catholic. I was an altar boy.”

Straughan called himself a “lax Catholic,” but said the film has a “spiritual core.” 

“I think the core message of Conclave is about the Church always having to re-find its spiritual core, because it deals so much with power. That’s always been a careful, difficult balance,” Straughan said. “To me, that was a very central Catholic ideal that I was brought up with.”

In an interview with Postmedia last fall, Fiennes said the movie was supposed to leave audiences with questions.

“The audience will be asking themselves about the power within religion, about religious structures, and they should ask themselves about the value of the spiritual life and the value of having any kind of church,” Fiennes said.

“It’s a male-dominated hierarchical structure and that’s to be questioned,” the two-time Oscar nominee continued. “Surely, it’s to be questioned. Why do we continue to have a church where women are excluded to this extent. Those are questions that hopefully (audiences) come away asking themselves.”

mdaniell@postmedia.com