Nicholas Hytner and Alan Bennett have successfully teamed up in the past 20 years for two well-received adaptations of Bennett's works (The Lady in the Van and The History Boys). The two now reteam for the historical comedy drama The Choral, set in the fictional town of Ramsden, Yorkshire, during the First World War. It is the kind of film that was once commonplace in British cinema, a crowd-pleasing, Sunday-afternoon kind of film. However, we've seen this sort of film done many times over the years, and it offers little in the way of novelty.

On top of Bennet and Hytner's involvement, the other main attraction is Ralph Fiennes in the leading role, fresh off his acclaimed work and Oscar nomination for Conclave. The cast is dotted with well-known stars of British TV and stage, including Roger Allam, Simon Russell Beale and Mark Addy.

Ramsden has, like much of the UK, been affected by the war, losing many of its young men to the trenches. The choral society, a pillar of the community, is now taking women into its ranks and perhaps some less likely to be seen there previously. Fiennes's controversial Dr Guthrie is tasked with helping the somewhat ramshackle group to do a reworking of one of Elgar's pieces. Guthrie is controversial for having lived and worked in Germany, and during wartime, his allegiances are called into question.

While Fiennes is dependable as ever, the narrative shifts between the young men and women of the community and the elder statesmen who run the choral. This slightly scattershot focus robs it of being something more impactful. The younger cast feels very one-note, the men lusting after the women, which makes for a series of cheap, repeated gags that quickly get tiresome. There is an oddly raunchy quality to the script that might work in some of Bennett's plays but feels decidedly out of place here in what is otherwise quite a light film.

The class divide of Ramsden is not examined in a meaningful way, especially compared to some of the best British films set in the north of the UK, like Billy Elliot or The Full Monty. While it will be a light watch for a Sunday afternoon, it can't help but feel like this sort of film has been done better elsewhere.

There is potentially a more impactful film somewhere in The Choral, but there is too much of a splintered narrative and it often loses its grip when jumping between the various storylines. It is ultimately a frustrating watch and a rare misstep in the Bennett/Hytner partnership.

The Choral was a Gala screening at the London Film Festival 2025