While WWI continues in mainland Europe in the year 1916, a small provincial choir in the countryside of England needs new male singers to replenish its membership. This situation pushes the choir’s established members to recruit teenage boys who learn the joy of singing, flirt with romantic prospects, and face their imminent assignments in the British army.
That’s the story, in a nutshell, of the pleasant period drama, “The Choral” now available in your home. Although this film was originally released in the U.S. at Christmastime in 2025, its release was very limited, so I doubt many people caught this one on the big screen. Thank you to Netflix for releasing it on July 2nd this year.
In the same vein of lighthearted period films showing the domestic effects of war, “The Choral” reminds me of “Mrs. Henderson Presents” (2005) or “A League of Their Own” (1992). The characters are all very British talking crisply about appropriate behavior, musical tastes, and the anxiety of their husbands or sons returning from battle. This dialogue comes from famous English author Alan Bennett who has adapted his own works into the past films “The Madness of King George” (1994), “The History Boys” (2006), and “The Lady in the Van” (2015).
Using such upright words like “peculiarities,” “obliterate,” and “riff-raff” in their performances, all the actors fit believably into the time period representing the most respectable levels of society. So “The Choral” is easy and comfortable to watch for everyone. Sadly, it’s also without any excitement or urgency.
The longer I watched this film, the more I thought it’s simplicity is good comfort watching. No great attention is required to enjoy this one. It’s a selection perfect for a late night when middle-aged couples lie in bed struggling with what to play on their TV as they fall asleep. But this constant placidity doesn’t mean “The Choral” is without any merits.
Actors Ralph Fiennes ("28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," 2026) and Robert Emms ("His Dark Materials," 2019), and actress Amara Okereke ("The Morning After," 2024), give satisfying and emotionally layered performances. Maybe that’s because they all play outsiders in one form or another. Any lover of classical choir harmonies will enjoy the music in this film along with the serious discussions about its soloists and accompanists. And all the actors who sing here look like they’re actually doing the singing captured on film (except for one young man who succeeds in singing through his grief).
The theme of communal music being an inspiration for the young boys to bravely answer their military assignments is touched on a bit in this film. But what “The Choral” mainly focuses on is the power of artistic creativity to explore new ideas and try different things. Ralph Fiennes expresses it best with the lines, “Art comes out of art,” and, “A choral society shouldn’t mirror the social order. It should transcend it.”
Sublime singing, some good ideas, and some good performances are all fine here. It’s just a bummer this film doesn’t make more of a deep impression as a whole. Isn’t that what good artistic expression should do?
