The New Pope

:

Season 1
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 27, 2019
Metascore
63

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
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Critic Reviews

  1. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Ben Travers
    Jan 13, 2020
    91
    Sorrentino’s series remains one of the most unique, enigmatic, and exhilarating television experiences that you can watch for depth, for fun, or for a wild combination of both.
  2. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Allison Shoemaker
    Jan 13, 2020
    80
    Even when “The New Pope” stumbles, it’s hard to do anything but gape and marvel in the best way possible. The performances remain excellent. ... “The New Pope” itself has no interest in compromise, and for that, if you’ll pardon the expression, god be praised.
  3. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: John Anderson
    Jan 9, 2020
    80
    Outrageous, audacious, seductive, sexy and byzantine, to say nothing of visually voluptuous. ... “The New Pope,” which opens with Lenny Belardo, aka Pius XIII, still on life support, is about the writing—writing that, for most of the series’ nine episodes, is pure mischief.
  5. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Niv M. Sultan
    Jan 10, 2020
    75
    Despite the sordid, festering material that the series explores, what ultimately emerges from The New Pope is sheer beauty. It’s an understated grace, one that director Paolo Sorrentino and cinematographer Luca Bigazzi effect with an eye to intimacy.
  6. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    Jan 13, 2020
    70
    The payoffs of “The New Pope,” whether you enjoy them or not, are mostly in the visual flourishes and conceits, often set to pointedly secular pop songs. ... It has strong elements of workplace sitcom, but it even more closely resembles another venerable genre: the Mafia movie. Voiello and his ecclesiastical associates, bickering and maneuvering, are like the members of a crime family, making offers that maybe, with eternity in mind, you shouldn’t refuse.

Awards & Rankings

100
#100 Most Discussed TV Season of 2020
50
#50 Most Shared TV Season of 2020

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 25 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 25
  3. Negative: 3 out of 25
  1. Ajmovies
    Jan 15, 2020
    10
    HBOs new shows have been amazing and this is one of them. Rating -93% must see
  2. OlivierPiel
    Feb 11, 2020
    7
    It's good but not great:
    Plus points:
    - Some truly beautifully shot scenes and 2 or 3 great episodes. - Writing is suspensful, coherent and    It's good but not great:
    Plus points:
    - Some truly beautifully shot scenes and 2 or 3 great episodes.
    - Writing is suspensful, coherent and engrossing
    - Jude Law is mesmerising
    - John Malkovitch is good

    Minus points:
    - The first two episodes are idiotic.
    - The acting of the European actors is very bad. The worst are the two French-speaking actresses (Cecile de France and Ludivine Seignier) (must have been required by Canal + to sell to the French market). Especially when playing in front of Malkovitch and Law.
    - Some of the side story lines are entirely superfluous
    - The badly accented English of some of the aforementioned actors is atrocious. Very grating. Almost ruin the show for me.

    PS: I'm French    … Full Review »
  3. Pshek
    Feb 9, 2020
    3
    Loved The Young Pope and I really regret watching this one... You wouldn't see any conflict of Popes(you will have a looong wait until LennyLoved The Young Pope and I really regret watching this one... You wouldn't see any conflict of Popes(you will have a looong wait until Lenny arrives), just kaleidoscope of perversions and useless story lines which would come and pass without meet their ends. The series looks aimless as whole and in parts.

    Still, old characters give it some relief, especially Voiello.    … Full Review »
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