The Two Popes is more like a thought experiment that considers what would have happened if these two men of deep faith ever truly sat down to talk – and though impressive, not our top pick for this particular prize.
And what’s most impressive is that none of these conversations actually happened, as the film is based on Anthony McCarthen’s fictionalized play, The Pope.
Whether or not you know anything about the Catholic Church, there’s something truly compelling about the conversations of faith and life and football that these two men have.
With The Two Popes not securing a Best Picture nomination, it feels like the film could be the long shot in the screenplay race, but at the same time the film’s simplicity lets the script shine in ways that some of the others on this list might are unable to do.