Late Shift Review: An Extremely Intense, Focused Procedural

      Leonie Benesch is having a tough time. Following her intense experience in the Academy Award-nominated film The Teachers’ Lounge, she takes on another challenging role in the confined atmosphere of Petra Volpe’s Late Shift, which unfolds during a night shift at an understaffed Swiss hospital. The film explores the overwhelming responsibilities faced by a nurse and her small team, depicting an environment fraught with constant interruptions that detract from urgent medical needs. Switzerland’s Oscar-shortlisted film delivers high intensity and striking resonance, although it purposefully lacks distinct personality.

      As both writer and director, Volpe has created a film that serves as a character study, not of the rather nondescript nurse Floria (Benesch), but of the broader system that places its workers in life-or-death situations with minimal support. Throughout her busy rounds, we gather snippets of the health issues and backgrounds of Floria’s patients. Volpe’s detailed examination of one exhausting shift raises a larger question about the millions of other nurses worldwide who confront similar challenges (this is addressed in the film’s neatly conclusive, message-driven finale). By setting the story in Switzerland, known for its high-quality healthcare, Volpe implies that if such pressures exist in a wealthy country, conditions in less equipped hospitals must be even harsher.

      As Floria attends to over two dozen patients in her surgical ward, she encounters new challenges: soiled clothing, requests for additional pain relief, patients criticizing her for not providing the preferred tea, and inquiries about misplaced glasses, along with more critical medical needs. While each issue is distinct, the common thread is that no patient is aware of the others' demands or the gravity of their requests. Each appeal comes with urgency, and Floria must handle them all with a smile. With cinematographer Judith Kaufmann’s restless camera closely tracking Floria’s every move and response, Benesch delivers a gripping portrayal of internalized anxiety. As the requests pile up, the film becomes a suspenseful question of when she will reach her breaking point. This climax arrives in a moment of heightened drama that feels somewhat overdone and heavy-handed in its class critique.

      Floria’s only support is a fellow nurse and an inexperienced trainee. In the rare moments when doctors appear, they show little sensitivity or awareness of the overwhelming workload, highlighting a systemic issue that requires addressing at a higher level. The film’s episodic structure results in a straightforward bluntness in its messaging, while Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch's score often overemphasizes the emotions already conveyed by the narrative.

      However, as a call for improved working conditions and compensation for nurses, its message is powerfully delivered. With gripping intensity, Late Shift cultivates empathy for those on the front lines of healthcare, effectively placing the viewer in the position of those dealing with these life-and-death situations. Given the lives they manage, a nurse’s only reprieve should not be a fleeting elevator ride between floors.

      Late Shift is set to release in theaters on Friday, March 20.