Directed by: Petra Volpe
Written by: Petra Volpe
Run Time: 1 hour 29 mins

No one likes hospitals, but anyone who’s spent a prolonged period of time in one knows that they are multifaceted places. With life often so delicately in the balance they tend to uncover emotions that aren’t always expressed so openly in everyday life. But along with the fear and sadness that inevitably arise, there can also be space for joy and humour, something director Petra Volpe notes in her latest film, Late Shift.

Volpe’s film follows a nurse, Floria (Leonie Benesch) as she navigates through an intense shift on her understaffed hospital ward. She has a range of patients to attend to whilst also managing several new admissions, all while being shadowed by a young student nurse. As her shift proceeds and it becomes increasingly more difficult for her to meet the demands of everyone on the ward, things start to take their toll on her, both physically and emotionally.

Late Shift is shot in an appropriately naturalistic way, allowing viewers to feel like they’re too running up and down the hospital corridors in which Volpe’s story is set. This style could be compared to the likes of Éric Gravel’s Full Time (2021) or Philip Barantini’s Boiling Point (2021) – two dramas similarly fraught with stress and anxiety. However, it perhaps has most in common with Marc Munden’s Covid TV movie, Help (2021), as both see single members of staff attempting to tend to multiple patients with little to no support. It’s unsurprising then that Volpe’s film acts as a cautionary tale, alerting audiences to the alarming circumstances that have lead to a severe lack of nurses.

As Floria, Leonie Benesch bears the weight of the whole ward on her shoulders, and she’s convincing at every turn. Whether she’s putting on her new trainers in the locker room or preparing vital pain medication for her patients, she appears completely at home in all areas of this environment – affording both her character and the story an authenticity that is crucial to the film’s success. Just as she became one with the school setting of İlker Çatak’s The Teacher’s Lounge (2023), her unassuming nature once again lends itself wonderfully to the realism of the narrative here.

Her quietly confident performance is bolstered by Volpe’s thoughtful construction of Floria’s larger work environment. One that features a further array of characters that paints an accurate picture of hospital life and deftly demonstrates the wildly unpredictable nature of nursing. Floria is a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, and unfairly, on occasion, a victim of verbal abuse. But somehow, amongst the immense pressures of her job, Floria always finds the kindness in herself to give each patient exactly what they need. Gentle, fleeting moments of peace and comfort that she always makes time for, despite never seeming to have enough herself. And it’s in these pockets of compassion that Late Shift becomes profoundly moving.

It’s a powerful portrayal of the caregiver and illustrates just how important a role it is for society as a whole. Yet, rather than just highlight Floria’s capabilities, and they are many, Late Shift forces the hard truths of health services stretched too thin on its audience as well. This, a striking juxtaposition of a caring nurse making a real difference to patients, with the same proficient professional being unable to complete the limitless tasks expected of her, both highlights the rewarding nature of the job, but more pointedly showcases just how unrealistic it has become to deliver the level of care expected.

“Will you be here tomorrow?” one of Floria’s patients asks her hopefully. The answer is of course yes, but it’s a question that puts a smile on her face, knowing she’s making his stay in hospital that little bit less painful. However, it serves also as a simple yet illuminating reminder for viewers, that even after the utter ordeal of her day, ultimately, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. It’s just the latest in a long line of solo shifts in her now perilously unstable workplace reality. Pressingly, Late Shift urges us to consider, how much longer can it last?

Star Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★