Leonie Benesch deserves more recognition, especially after her film The Teachers’ Lounge earned an Oscar nomination for Best International Feature. She’s no stranger to compelling roles—whether playing a teacher in that film, an interpreter in the Munich Olympics drama September 5, or Prince Philip’s sister Cecilie in The Crown. Benesch seems to specialize in portraying strong, capable young women navigating high-pressure situations.
In Late Shift (originally titled Heldin, meaning “Heroine”), she plays Floria, a single mother and nurse working grueling night shifts in a sleek but severely understaffed Swiss hospital. From the moment her shift starts, Floria is constantly on the move. The film, inspired by nurse-turned-author Madeline Calvelage’s memoir Our Profession Is Not the Problem. It’s the Circumstances, captures the relentless pace of hospital life with brisk, walk-and-talk dialogue reminiscent of Aaron Sorkin’s style. Though it feels almost like a single-take drama, there are traditional cuts—British viewers might compare it to Casualty or Holby City.
Floria is dedicated and kind, but the workload is overwhelming. The film highlights the global nursing shortage (a fact underscored by WHO statistics in the closing credits). Every patient interaction is rushed—some are grateful, others on the verge of complaints. In one tender moment, Floria sings a German lullaby to soothe an elderly dementia patient, their voices blending softly. It’s a rare pause in the chaos, but it leaves Floria even further behind.
Tensions peak when an entitled patient in a private room berates her for being late with his tea. Floria finally snaps, though the conflict resolves a bit too neatly, veering into soap-opera territory. The final montage, set to melancholic music, feels somewhat clichéd. Still, Benesch’s performance—sharp, resilient, and utterly believable—anchors the film. Late Shift arrives in UK and Irish cinemas on 1 August.
