In the wake of Pope Francis’s death on April 21, 2025, a quiet but fascinating ripple spread across Netflix’s global audience. The Two Popes, the 2019 biographical drama that once drew critical acclaim for its nuanced exploration of Vatican politics and human faith, suddenly found itself back in the spotlight—climbing into the Top 10 in more than 27 countries and experiencing a staggering 417% surge in viewership, according to reports.
Coincidence? Maybe. But given the emotionally charged moment, some are wondering if this is just an algorithmically timed suggestion or an intentional content push riding the wave of global sentiment.
Directed by Brazilian filmmaker Fernando Meirelles and written by Anthony McCarten, The Two Popes is more than just a theological drama. It’s a character study of two of the most influential men in modern Christianity—Pope Benedict XVI (portrayed with chilly restraint by Anthony Hopkins) and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the future Pope Francis (brought to life by a warmly sincere Jonathan Pryce). Set in 2012, the film imagines the series of deeply personal conversations that may have occurred between these two men as they debated the direction of the Catholic Church—its traditions, its scandals, and its future.
What makes the film newly resonant now is the poignancy of Pope Francis’s legacy, which many around the world are revisiting. As one of the most progressive pontiffs in history, Francis was beloved for his humility, his commitment to social justice, and his openness to reform. The Two Popes taps into those very themes—showing a man caught between the guilt of the past and the responsibility of the future. The film’s dramatized dialogue, much of it fictionalized yet grounded in philosophical and theological truth, reveals the emotional burden of leadership and the inner conflict of someone trying to change an institution rooted in centuries-old doctrine.
The resurgence of interest in the film raises questions beyond content quality—it hints at how streaming platforms shape public memory. Algorithms are designed to feed into our cultural moment. They sense patterns. They suggest comfort, nostalgia, or intellectual challenge when the world is emotionally stirred. Netflix’s subtle push of The Two Popes at such a time might not be a calculated PR tactic, but it is certainly an example of how technology and timing intertwine. When news breaks, when leaders die, or when the world pauses, we turn to stories. And in this case, Netflix had the perfect one queued up.
Critically, The Two Popes was no lightweight. It premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and went on to earn three Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Beyond the accolades, it’s the chemistry between Hopkins and Pryce that anchors the film. They embody two sides of the same spiritual coin—Benedict, a stoic traditionalist burdened by scandals he cannot control, and Bergoglio, a reformer who carries his own shadows. Their conversations, both philosophical and deeply personal, feel timely again as we consider the spiritual path Pope Francis carved in real life.
Of course, it’s fair to ask: is this resurgence purely a product of mourning, or is it also a means of rediscovery? In a world where news cycles are fast and attention spans fleeting, sometimes it takes the passing of a figure to truly look back and see the story that was always unfolding. Francis’s papacy was often polarizing, sometimes criticized within the Church, but universally recognized for its focus on humanity, mercy, and progress. The Two Popes lets us engage with that legacy in an emotional, accessible, and visually stunning way.
Ultimately, whether the renewed interest is coincidence or a cleverly aligned tactic, the result is the same: audiences around the world are revisiting a powerful cinematic reflection of two very human men wearing impossibly divine titles. And in doing so, perhaps we all get a little closer to understanding the burdens of power, the grace of forgiveness, and the courage it takes to let go.
Verdict: The Two Popes isn’t just a film. It’s a mirror—reflecting leadership in transition, faith under pressure, and humanity at the heart of the divine. And right now, that mirror feels more necessary than ever.
