Late Shift

LATE SHIFT (2025) Cert 12A German language with English subtitlesLeonie Benesch, Sonja Riesen, Alireza Bayram. Directed by Petra Volpe. 91m.It's not just our own NHS that's under crushing pressure, but hospitals across the globe. Set in a busy Swiss hospital, Petra Volpe's gripping and unrelenting drama captures the real‑time intensity of a nurse’s late shift. The film unfolds over a single, chaotic night in a surgical ward, where Floria (played by the superb Leonie Benesch) arrives for duty and immediately faces the daunting reality of understaffing and mounting crises. With only one colleague and an inexperienced student nurse to assist her, she juggles ward rounds of critical patients, administrative emergencies, and challenges in her own personal life, as a series of small incidents, one after another, threaten to culminate in potential disaster for both Floria and her patients. As the day intensifies, Late Shift transforms into a gripping race against time. Last seen in the equally powerful The Teacher's Lounge, which we screened earlier this year at Parade House, Benesch delivers a stellar, deeply human performance as Floria. With subtle vocal shifts, fleeting glances, and an astonishing grasp of the physical demands of medical procedures she conveys both competence and vulnerability in equal measure. Volpe’s restrained yet urgent direction creates a tension‑soaked environment that heightens both empathy and unease. The editing and sound design strip away narrative flourishes, but they leave behind an immersive portrait of emotional erosion on the job. Late Shift is more than a medical procedural — it’s a poignant social critique. In the closing credits, the film presents stark statistics about the global nursing shortage, spotlighting a profession that has been eviscerated by burnout and mass resignation. It's an immersive and sobering experience — on one hand an urgent expression of gratitude toward healthcare professionals but also a stark warning of what happens when systems fail them. Volpe's film forces us to recognize that even in the most efficient systems, the human spirit can crack — not from anger or frustration but from sheer exhaustion.Why not make an evening of it and join us for dinner before the movie? Book for dinner here.

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