The Christophers (2026)

I had a quietly delightful time at the cinema this week. I’ve always loved a solo cinema visit, because I get to choose what to see and I don’t have to feel responsible for anyone else’s entertainment. However, I would happily have taken a friend to see this movie without worry.

I went to see The Christophers, which is marketed as a dark comedy written by Ed Solomon and directed by the ever-inquisitive Steven Soderbergh.

The theme of the movie is creativity and what happens to our character when we give up something we love, especially when that something is our key to expressing ourselves. But it is also an exploration of the current state of the creative industries: the exploitation of talent, the ever-narrowing access to opportunities to make a living for artists, the unfairness, the arbitrary nature of criticism, and the problem of money tainting everything. The value of beauty disappears under mounting dollar signs.

Ian McKellan plays Julian Sklar – an ageing artist who has given up. He had been in love and produced two series of paintings of his lover – The Christophers. They mark his heyday back in the 1990s. A third series remains unfinished, which also means unsold and not making money. To make a sort-of living, Sklar films on-line cameos, trading on his grouchy, pretentious persona. His display of bravado doesn’t hide that he is broken.

Lori Butler (played by Michaela Coel) is an art restorer, who is employed by Julian to catalogue his work, but also employed by his offspring to find and restore the final series of The Christophers. His children want to sell them for millions after his death, and they are not above blackmail to accomplish this.

It is a gentle comedy with a small intimate cast. There are few laugh out loud moments, but there is a sense of sly fun throughout. It makes good matinee fodder, because the writing is sharp and the performances are exceptional. Watching the tense control of Coel’s expressive face play against the flamboyance of McKellan’s theatricality is a charismatic double act that bowled me over. I wanted more of this off-kilter comedy duo.

Jessica Gunning as Sally and James Corden as Barnaby, Julian’s errant children, also demonstrated comical expertise – even as their characters were deeply unlikeable. But then again, none of the characters covered themselves in glory. I doubt I would want to spend a dinner party in any of their company.

Sally and Barnaby might be obviously greedy and lacking in ambition beyond money. However, on the flipside they have been abandoned by their father who is self-centred and unable to confront his fears and emotions. He is mean-spirited, lacking in generosity, wallowing in his painful memories. And Lori is no angel. She is equally closed off, bruised by rejection, capable of manipulation and deceit. Her company is still, fizzing with tension, refusing to fill silences,

And yet we care. We care because we want to see art and artists flourish. We want to see talent appreciated.

It is an intelligent, thoughtful film. It is talky, rather than action led, so for an afternoon, or quiet date rather than Saturday night romp. Most of the action takes place within the ramshackle chaos of Sklar’s London home, a monument to the creativity he has lost and that now lies dilapidated.

Definitely recommend.

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