
Conclave: a masterclass in nuanced characters
From Story Nerd by Melanie Hill, Valerie Francis
March 25, 2026 · 30 min · Season 17 · Episode 1707
About this episode
This episode discusses the film 'Conclave' and its lessons on writing nuanced characters in thrillers.
Wowzers! This is a terrific movie. If you're writing a thriller (any sub-genre), or a story with nuanced and complex characters, this episode is for you. In fact, CONCLAVE is one of the movies we recommend you put on your short list of films to study because, seriously, you can learn about almost any aspect of storytelling from it. It's so good that I'm not even angry that the bad guy turns out to be a Canadian - lol! -V.
People in this episode
Hosts: Melanie Hill, Valerie Francis
Topics covered
- thriller
- nuanced characters
- storytelling
- film analysis
- character development
Keywords
- Conclave
- thriller
- nuanced characters
- storytelling
- film study
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Conclave
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