SXSW London 2025 – Late Shift ★★★★

Released: 1st August 2025

Director: Petra Volpe

Starring: Leonie Benesch, Sonja Riesen, Selma Aldin

Back in 2024, Leonie Benesch caught the attention of film fans with the acclaimed The Teacher’s Lounge, which earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language film. A pressure cooker thriller set in the workplace, she now returns with another thriller set in an unusual location, this time a Swiss hospital following a nurse on the titular late shift. Floria (Benesch) returns to work fresh after a much-needed holiday, but her return is anything but relaxing with a staff shortage causing chaos and meaning Floria is having to juggle multiple jobs and interactions at once, leading to a spiralling sense of chaos and heightened pressure.

There is a real sense of urgency and realism to the film, shortages in the healthcare industry are of course not isolated to Switzerland and so this will strike a chord with many. The end credits highlight how much of an issue this is set to be in the coming years and doubtless many will recognise the state of the hospital depicted here. There is a sense of Ken Loach’s social realism in how Petra Volpe captures the humanity of the situation and as an urgent call to arms and warning for the future.

Benesch once again really affirms her rising star status, fresh off the back of The Teacher’s Lounge and September 5^th, she looks set to scale even greater heights. So much of the film’s focus is Floria’s frustration and the increased strain placed on her with each interaction. She exudes calmness initially but of course can’t keep it under wraps all night. Having to command the audience’s attention almost on her own for 90 minutes, she manages it wonderfully often with little to no dialogue as she rushes from one scenario to another.

This is a slight but brilliant showcase for director Petra Volpe and star Leonie Benesch. It further cements Benesch as one of Germany’s hottest actors, delivering a stellar performance that really shows how isolating the experience is for Floria and how sadly uncommon it is for hospitals the world over. It may be an uncomfortable watch at points, but it is essential viewing to remind us of the importance of the healthcare sector and making sure situations like this aren’t a common occurrence in the not too distant future.