15 Comments

This is such a phenomenal review. I've been trying to put this idea into words for weeks when recommending Conclave to people but you explained it perfectly. It's catnip for gays raised catholic who love to see the queens battle it out.

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I love your movie reviews.

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Have you ever watched Chinese palace drama? Because that is literally what you just described when you said "I love films set in worlds of strict uniformity, because it’s against such strict uniformity that even slight deviations hold enormous power." The girlies are killing each other over the slightest deviation in the norm of the inner palace, where the eunuchs are encouraging their gossips from the sideline.

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YES. as someone who was raised catholic, I watched conclave and was like, “absolutely yes, the DRAMA, the THEATRICS, the cunty atmosphere, it’s all here.” catholicism is campy and dramatic. sorry protestants

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I haven't watched it yet, but only because my Catholic-raised psyche has convinced me delayed gratification will make it that much better.

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This exceptional review is dedicated to all the little gay boys who play chess and like to follow rules.

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I think I, too, love stories about navigating worlds full of rules. It explains why I get such a kick out of The Crown and Better Call Saul. Watching people hold serious conversations in corridors while trying to advance to the next rung of power is catnip for me!

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Brilliant.

Still at Catholic church every Sunday JUST to be part of the pageantry (I'm in the choir lol) with the rowdy, deviant musicians and gays. Also obsessed with rigid-rules period dramas, sensing a theme here.

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this just unlocked something for me in why i specifically love romance novels that involve arranged marriages, political matches, etc.....its the rules

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Smashing review.

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as an ex-catholic, I'm an easy sell for movies with Pope or exorcism/exorcist in the title

I haven't seen Conclave yet and this made me so excited to watch! thank you!

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I also too enjoyed this review very much!

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I liked this review and it made me like the movie marginally more so thank you ❤️

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This is such an elevation of the art of the movie review. I’m both moved and impressed. Thank you for this!

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Thank you for brightening my morning. This was a really fun piece of writing.

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