15/10/2025 - Nicholas Hytner’s feature stars Ralph Fiennes as a choir leader, blending music and ensemble storytelling in World War I-era Britain

After screening at the Toronto Film Festival, The Choral [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Nicholas Hytner has had its European premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, in the Gala section. The film is set for theatrical release only, on 7 November, across the UK.

Set in a fictional northern English town called Ramsden, the movie follows Dr Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) as the troubled leader of the local choral society, called in to help put together a performance that he decides should be based on British composer Edward Elgar's “The Dream of Gerontius”. In the background, World War I is raging, and the tranquillity of the small town is shaken by its consequences. In particular, Dr Guthrie is not welcome in the community owing to his links with Germany, a country that he considers superior in its approach to art, and where he admits to having left his heart after living there for a lengthy period. Another issue is represented by his sexuality, as he is homosexual, and the religious community around the choir is reluctant to accept this, at least in the beginning.

The Choral features a large ensemble of characters, which can at times create an overwhelming sense of confusion. Dr Guthrie is the star around which many other lives orbit – from teenage boys thrust into war just as they begin to discover love (and even get entangled in love triangles), to older figures scarred by conflict, such as the choir’s benefactor, who has lost his son and whose wife has become a mere ghost of her former self, yet who continues to sing despite his lack of talent. In fact, in this sense, the film occasionally feels reminiscent of a musical – even though it isn’t one, strictly speaking – due not only to the pervasive use of music throughout, but also to the frequent overlapping of multiple characters and their individual storylines, much like in musicals such as Les Misérables [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile], where all of the threads remain interconnected.

After all, the title may also hint at the fact that the movie is a shared experience, and it’s refreshing to see that, for once, the weight of the film does not rest entirely on the most famous actor involved in it. Nonetheless, Fiennes, as usual, pours his heart and soul into the performance, finely calibrating all of the emotions, and leading the ensemble cast with his charisma and skill. He once again confirms that he is the most inspired actor of his generation, who manages to adapt to any role with extreme ease.

Hytner's work is perfect both for the general public and for a more demanding audience. It will probably perform relatively well in cinemas, but the feeling it conveys is that it would be perfectly suited for a distribution model that allows people to watch it at home, as The Choral seems to offer a broader viewing experience. It clearly fits within the category of British productions, particularly those set in specific historical periods – even when fictional – that appeal to wide audiences. Its approach differs greatly from that of another British film set during World War I, Sam Mendes’ 1917 [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. While it is far less innovative from a production standpoint, it offers genuinely heartfelt emotion and strikes the right balance between humour and poignancy. All of its technical aspects are expertly curated, and even if the movie is not memorable for anything in particular, its authenticity and heart need to be acknowledged.

The Choral is a joint production between the UK and the USA. The companies involved are DJ Films, Free Range Films, Gerontius Productions, Head Gear Films, Metrol Technology and Sony Pictures Classics. The sales have been entrusted to Sony Pictures Classics.