HBO’s The Young Pope stars Jude Law as a smirky pontiff. It’s sly, sinister, and a whole lot of fun.
The Young Pope glances at his adversary, preternaturally long eyelashes blinking, tanned face stretching into a sneer. He takes a drag of his cigarette, ash falling on the cold marble of the Vatican floor, then he exhales and says with barely concealed disdain: “There’s a new pope now.” And indeed, there is. By the time HBO’s The Young Pope premiered in the US on Sunday, January 15 (it’s previously aired in several other countries), the drama already had a somewhat ridiculous reputation online, because let’s be real: “ The Young Pope starring Jude Law” sounds like it should be a farce. But as written and directed by Oscar-winning Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino, The Young Pope is ... well, sometimes it is a farce, but at least it’s always a self-aware one. At other times, it’s a grave drama that delves into what the ramifications might be if a young American cardinal were to become pope and embrace t...