Conclave: a masterclass in nuanced characters

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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