written by: Petra Volpe
produced by: Lukas Hobi and Reto Schaerli
directed by: Petra Volpe
rated: not rated
runtime: 91 min.
U.S. release date: March 27, 2026

In the German/Swiss drama “Late Shift”, we’re reminded that there’s a global health crisis that has nothing to do with health but everything to do with the daily struggles and stress nurses face. Like teachers, there are too few nurses around, despite everyone always saying there’s a need for them, and those who do show up and work each shift nonstop are underpaid. We know this, but it’s good to be reminded. Written and directed by Swiss director Petra Volpe (“The Divine Order”), the film takes a focused look at one late shift navigated by two nurses and one nurse aide who are outnumbered by patients in need and those who grieve for them. It’s not as hectic as an ER, but the demands and constant multitasking are still there and heightened when the focus is on one young nurse who’s doing her best despite impossible odds.

The first thing we notice as “Late Shift” begins is how clean, modern, and well-kept the workplace at Cantonal Hospital in Basel-Landschaft, in the northeastern corner of Switzerland, is. The place almost resembles a resort, one where everyone working there wears blue scrubs or white doctors’ coats. We meet Floria (Leonie Benesch) one night as she arrives for a late shift. Volpe and cinematographer Judith Kaufmann primarily place us and the camera behind Floria, following her in real time, sometimes swiveling to her side as she moves from her locker to an elevator and on to the ward, where patients fill just about every room. At times, there’s a one-take feeling, but editor Hansjörg Weißbrich is definitely present, whose seamless cutting emphasizes how Floria never has a free moment.

As she slips on a new pair of comfortable shoes in the locker room, Floria meets her sole associate for the shift, Bea (Sonja Riesen), both of them asking how their days off were. Floria shares how she took her young daughter to the zoo and sat in front of the monkey exhibit for four hours. One gets the idea that their off-days aren’t long enough, nor do they offer enough “me time”.

While the two nurses work on the same ward, their workloads keep them separate, with little interaction throughout the shift. With staff shortages in place, the two set off on their rounds, sharing Amelie (Selma Jamal Aldin), a student trying to get the hang of things, running a bit slow with supplies and struggling to take orders.

As soon as she hits the floor, Floria assists a more tenured aide, Jan Sharif (Ali Kandaş), in changing and cleaning an elderly patient, Mrs. Kuhn (Margherita Schoch), whose dementia has led to incontinence. Mr. Leau (Urs Bihler) is a patient who’s been waiting too long to receive his cancer diagnosis, which should be communicated by Dr. Strobel (Nicole Bachmann), but the doctor is too busy in the OR. This important information should be delivered by the doctor, but Floria is the only caregiver that Mr. Leu encounters. It puts Floria in a frustrating internal conflict, yet she tries to remain supportive and reassuring of the elderly patient.

While maneuvering between her rounds, Floria is often pulled in different directions by patients in the hallway, yet she does her best to respond with empathy and professionalism. Still, she’s only human. She tries to keep the dying patient Herr Schneider (Heinz Wyssling) comfortable while his exhausted daughter (Doris Schefer) sits helplessly by his side. She’s afraid to leave his side in case he passes away, but Floria encourages her to get some rest, knowing from experience how important it is to take care of oneself.

At every turn, Floria feels the demands of the job, whether it’s bedridden patients signaling for assistance or calls from the OR, she gets pulled in every direction. Patient Frau Lauber (Elisabeth Roll) can be seen walking around with her IV cart, reminding Floria that her medication is late. Floria also has to repeatedly remind a patient that she can’t smoke in or around the hospital, especially while carting around the oxygen tank she uses to breathe.

Floria must also care for two other patients with terminal cancer, each in very different situations. Thanks to his private insurance, Herr Severin (Jürg Plüss) has his own room, but that luxury doesn’t make him patient or understanding toward the short-staffed caregivers. His prostate cancer has made him intolerable, burying fear with insufferable demands, yelling at Floria each time she comes into his room. She must also contend with the concerned adult children whose mother is fading away from cancer. The stressors take a toll on Floria, despite her bottling up her feelings to remain efficient and on top of things. Still, she’s only one person, dealing with life-and-death situations with each shift; mistakes are inevitable, and even Floria has a breaking point.

The title of Volpe’s film says it all. “Late Shift” is all about the work and a specific nurse who works the late shift. There’s no descriptive narrative here, nor is there any time to truly get to know anyone: caregivers, patients, or their loved ones. The focus is on a real-time experience, giving viewers an immersive understanding of the healthcare methods used and the psychological and emotional toll of nursing.

Benesch, who was so great in 2023’s “The Teacher’s Lounge,” is excellent here. Volpe follows Benesch’s Floria closely, observing her handling patient needs, but there’s also a good amount of time watching the meticulous nature of the work. Floria has to focus as she deals with painkillers and medicine, finding vials and measuring doses, and quite often, it’s easy to forget you’re watching an actor. Between Benesch’s performance and Volpe’s direction, there’s a striking verisimilitude as the shift unfolds, with Floria working to manage relief (and grief) for so many.

Volpe and production designer Beatrice Schultz filmed at the actual Cantonal Hospital, and it’s impressive how they convey the sights and sounds of a specific floor during a late shift. Attention is given to the quiet moments that occur, even if it’s just two patients sharing a room and playing chess together.  A reminder that kindness and bonding can come in many forms at any time. The environment may not be as bustling or as loud as it is during the day (which is usually when we see hospitals on television and at the movies), but the needs are still there, no matter what time of day it is… and things can take a turn at any time.

There’s a fluid pace to “Late Shift” that captures the flow of Floria’s tasks, but thankfully, Volpe steers clear of levity or manipulation, allowing Benesch an atmosphere to inhabit a character who’s easy to care about. Floria has feelings of fear and guilt, just like anyone else, but she knows how the patients and their visitors are in more desperate situations.

Benesch definitely has our attention from start to finish, as Floria carefully represents the nursing experience and all the psychological and physical toil involved in health care. She carries the film with great vulnerability and grace. As she watches over her patients, it’s easy to wonder who watches over her. One could say we do. It’s no wonder that the German title for the “Late Shift” is “Heldin”, which is a noun for heroine.

As the film ends, text on the screen closes the story with sobering reality: By 2030, Switzerland will be understaffed by 30,000 trained nurses. 36% leave the job after four years. The worldwide shortage is a global health risk. The WHO estimates a shortage of 13 million by 2030. 

RATING: ***1/2