Set primarily in 2012, the story follows Cardinal Bergoglio as he travels to Rome to request permission to retire from Pope Benedict XVI. Instead, the introspective Pope summons his critic to discuss a secret that would eventually lead to Benedict's unprecedented resignation and Bergoglio's election.

It premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in August 2019 and was released on Netflix in December 2019.

The film centers on the clash between tradition and reform within the Catholic Church, while humanizing the two leaders through conversations about faith, regret, and forgiveness.