- Michaela Coel, Ian McKellen, Jessica Gunning, James Corden
- May 15th 2026
- 100
- Steven Soderbergh
Lori Butler becomes the assistant of renowned artist Julian Sklar as part of her scheme to complete his The Christophers portrait series.
Michaela Coel is keeping her fans happy. After recently making her movie comeback with Mother Mary, she’s already back with Steven Soderbergh’s The Christophers.
In this unpredictable drama, the I May Destroy You actress plays an art restorer named Lori Butler who is hired by the children of renowned artist Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen) to complete his famous and extremely lucrative portrait series The Christophers.
Earlier paintings in the series have sold for millions, and it’s widely believed he has several more locked away in his archives. But that’s not true – the remaining ones are unfinished. Barnaby (James Corden) and Sallie (Jessica Gunning) want Lori to complete them so they can sell them for a fortune after Julian passes away.
Lori pretends to be a new assistant to gain access to Julian’s house and carry out the forgery – but the plan is not as straightforward as his children made it seem. Julian is no fool!
The Christophers is an intelligent, dialogue-driven drama that is much more complicated and unpredictable than it seems from the outset. Allegiances between the pair shift several times and you’re not sure where the story is going to go.
It feels like it could be a play as it’s largely just McKellen and Coel having conversations in Julian’s expansive, rundown London townhouse, but what they have to say is so juicy, funny and unexpected that you can forgive its stagey quality.
Lori and Julian’s complex professional relationship evolves constantly over the course of the film. He is a pompous man with an inflated ego, while Lori, who studied his work for many years, sees through the facade and refuses to indulge him.
McKellen really sinks his teeth into his formidable character, who says exactly what he thinks, regardless of the consequences, and often goes off on many tangent-filled monologues, not stopping to let Lori get a word in edgeways.
As a result of his larger-than-life character and the sheer amount of dialogue writer Ed Solomon crafted for him, McKellen dominates their scenes, but Coel is still compelling and magnetic as her mysterious character, who has a lot going on underneath her cool and calm exterior.
The Christophers is a smart, unexpected and thrilling drama with a powerhouse performance from McKellen.
In cinemas from Friday 15th May
By Hannah Wales
© Cover Media