What happens after a pope dies? Many are asking this as the 88-year-old pontiff has been in the hospital since Feb. 14.

Conclave,” an Oscar nominee, has provided a peek at the Vatican’s secret rituals at a time when the faithful are praying that life will not imitate art.

Like his predecessors, Pope Francis was selected using an age-old method -- a system known as the Papal conclave.

"Conclave is packed with unexpected twists and its final reveal is one viewers will never see coming, an increasingly rare occurrence in modern movie-making and the mark of an impeccably crafted thriller," Entertainment Weekly 's critic raved in their review.

Understanding what a papal conclave is will grant you insights into the sacred Roman Catholic Church tradition. Learn more here.

Although director Edward Berger tends to sensationalize papal conclaves in “Conclave,” the film nonetheless gives audiences a glimpse into hypothetical factionalism and controversies that sway the votes of cardinal electors during these rare gatherings.

Conclave,” based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Robert Harris, nabbed the award for best adapted screenplay. The novel follows the complicated, sometimes underhanded twists and turns of a papal conclave created to elect a new pope after the previous one dies.

“Conclave” won best picture at the BAFTAs in London last month as well as best British film. Straughan’s pre-Oscars awards haul was particularly significant, having won best adapted screenplay at the BAFTAs, Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes.