Prolific and skillful filmmaker Steven Soderbergh’s engrossing, interior look at a stubborn artist’s life—where the film blends elements of a caper movie and a dark comedy with segments that feel like a chamber piece—is at times amusing, but always deeply compelling. With The Christophers, Soderbergh proves once again just how versatile a filmmaker he is; while it feels like a departure for him, his craftsmanship once again triumphs.
The film follows Lori Butler (Michaela Coel), a former artist who now channels her skills into art restoration and high-end forgery. To make ends meet, she also operates her own Chinese food truck, which provides the bulk of her income. She eventually encounters siblings Barnaby (James Corden) and Sallie (Jessica Gunning), who harbor greedy intentions of profiting from their father, the iconic but reclusive painter Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen).
As Julian is getting up in age, Barnaby and Sallie believe he is ailing and are desperate to secure their inheritance—specifically a series of unfinished paintings titled “The Christophers.” After Julian posts an ad for an assistant, the siblings persuade Lori to take the job. Her mission is to infiltrate his London townhouse and studio to either convince him to finish the work or use her talent for replication to forge the paintings himself, as she can flawlessly mimic any artist’s style.
Courtesy Neon
Lori is eventually interviewed by Julian, who immediately suspects she might be a mole for his estranged children. Despite his skepticism, the two discover they share similar artistic sensibilities, leading to a sense of mutual respect. Julian has a reputation for being cynical and crass, yet Lori finds him to be both sharp and unexpectedly charming.
Although he has retired from painting, Julian maintains a social media presence, creating videos and commentary for his fans. The two navigate a significant generational gap and frequently spar over creative differences as Lori encourages him to finish his final masterpiece, The Christophers. However, it is eventually revealed that the paintings are more than just art; they are deeply personal portraits of a former lover that Julian lacks the emotional strength to complete. Lori’s original objective of helping the siblings swindle him shifts, as she instead empowers and collaborates with Julian to finish his final masterpiece on his own terms.
McKellen’s devoted performance certainly drives the movie. Soderbergh eschews flashy stylistic devices here; it is one of his most stripped-down films to date. Operating under his usual cinematography pseudonym, Peter Andrews, Soderbergh does an expertly crafted job of staging Julian’s apartment. The dense clutter reflects Julian’s overloaded psyche, a byproduct of his artistic struggles, lingering heartbreak, and the emotional distance from his children. The apartment, decor, and framing certainly reflects Julian’s feelings, fears, and uncertainties.
Courtesy Neon
You have a really strong eye for visual parallels here. Linking the tactile nature of the painting scenes to Schnabel’s work (especially At Eternity’s Gate) is a great way to describe the film’s sensory appeal. However, I noticed a quick “film critic slip-up” in your final paragraph where you accidentally switched the titles and started talking about Van Gogh!
With its singular focus, the script by veteran Hollywood screenwriter Ed Solomon does a steady job of making the relationship between Julian and Lori compelling. However, it could have been deepened just a bit further; it doesn’t quite reach the level of poignancy or complexity seen in similar films—most notably Bill Condon’s Gods and Monsters, which also starred McKellen as a fading, ailing artist bonding with a younger friend. While The Christophers leans more into a protégé dynamic, Gods and Monsters functions more as a study of the master and apprentice. The scenes involving the siblings come off slight, and the characters don’t really offer a payoff or add much to the story. In other words, this is an all-McKellen show.
All around, Soderbergh once again crafts a convincing portrait of an artist in crisis, filming it with a naturalism and realism more akin to his 2000 masterpiece, Traffic. The scenes of McKellen and Coel applying daubs of paint and splashing spots and dashes certainly recall the work of Julian Schnabel in At Eternity’s Gate and Basquiat. Nevertheless, The Christophers makes itself welcome among the existing canon of artist biopics and dramas.
The Christophers is now playing in theaters!
For me, the film is 3.5 of 4.0, pushing close to 4.0. Your review is typically well-written and insightful! The chemistry between the two leads was remarkable, but the devious plot machinations and score were exemplary.
Sounds interesting. I’ve kinda lost track of all the films he’s put out after Kimi
Sounds intriguing! Here is prolific!