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The Choral

Play trailer 2:35 The Choral 2025 1h 48m Drama History Music Play Trailer Watchlist
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63% Tomatometer 24 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Ratings
1916. As war rages on the Western Front, the Choral Society in Ramsden, Yorkshire has lost most of its men to the army. The Choral's ambitious committee, determined to press ahead, decides to recruit local young males to swell their ranks. They must also engage a new chorus master, and despite their suspicions that he has something to hide, their best bet seems to be Dr. Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) -- driven, uncompromising, and recently returned from a career in Germany. As conscription papers start to arrive, the whole community discovers that the best response to the chaos that is laying waste to their lives is to make music together.

Critics Reviews

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Robbie Collin Daily Telegraph (UK) This quietly plangent, drily comic piece about a choirmaster (Ralph Fiennes) staging an Elgar oratorio in a Yorkshire mill town superficially resembles one of those Blair-era underdog comedies that were all period-accurate pluck and regional accents... Rated: 4/5 Oct 22, 2025 Full Review Guy Lodge Variety Art counts for a lot more than patriotism to Guthrie, and the happy surprise of Nicholas Hytner‘s film -- despite its twee, veddy English trappings -- is that it largely takes his side. Oct 20, 2025 Full Review Ross McIndoe Slant Magazine This is a historical drama with a handsome enough period setting and a couple of pleasant musical moments but whose roteness keeps it from resonating. Rated: 1.5/4 Oct 15, 2025 Full Review Dan Barnes Flickering Myth The Choral isn’t breaking boundaries, but it’s a poignant, hopeful and, at times, genuinely funny and enjoyable film about the power of community, kindness, and even art itself. Rated: 3/5 Oct 24, 2025 Full Review Liselotte Vanophem Geek Vibes Nation The Choral offers a much more subdued yet equally moving and impactful portrayal of wartime. Rated: 7/10 Oct 18, 2025 Full Review Manuel São Bento FandomWire The Choral is a passable yet forgettable experience. It's a mere fleeting comfort whose beautiful music cannot conceal the superficiality of its story. Rated: 5/10 Oct 13, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Nicholas Hytner

Director

Ralph Fiennes

Actor

Roger Allam

Actor

Amara Okereke

Actor

Simon Russell Beale

Actor

Thomas Howes

Actor
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The Choral

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The Choral

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Movie Info

Synopsis 1916. As war rages on the Western Front, the Choral Society in Ramsden, Yorkshire has lost most of its men to the army. The Choral's ambitious committee, determined to press ahead, decides to recruit local young males to swell their ranks. They must also engage a new chorus master, and despite their suspicions that he has something to hide, their best bet seems to be Dr. Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) -- driven, uncompromising, and recently returned from a career in Germany. As conscription papers start to arrive, the whole community discovers that the best response to the chaos that is laying waste to their lives is to make music together.
Director
Nicholas Hytner
Producer
Kevin Loader, Nicholas Hytner, Damian Jones
Screenwriter
Alan Bennett
Production Co
Sony Pictures Classics, BBC Film, Screen Yorkshire, Head Gear Films, Metro Technology
Genre
Drama, History, Music
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 48m