In this quite remarkable story, Ian McKellen stars as aging painter Julian Sklar who decades ago painted two series of portraits of a former lover which became know as The Christophers. At his home in London the now elderly curmudgeon has a third unfinished series of Christopher paintings stored in a bathroom.
Julian hires an assistant Lori (Michaela Coel) to help him do some new work, but unbeknown to him, Lori is in cahoots with his estranged children Barnaby (James Corden) and Sallie (Jessica Gunning) who have secretly hired Lori to complete the paintings so they can sell them when Julian dies.
Lori is a very good artist, but she hides this from Julian and she harbours a deep hostility towards him that stems from an encounter they had years before and from some of his derogatory and sexist statements he has made in public.
As their tempestuous dynamic continues we see some of the real vulnerability behind both characters and as they interact more, a curious understating develops between them. What follows is a funny and unexpected game of cat and mouse with everyone around them involved.
This film is a slow burn with long scenes which keep one riveted to the screen. McKellen gives a magnificent performance as Julian, a man full of self-importance and wracked with insecurity and deep hurt. He is funny, irascible, annoying and oddly loveable. The more we see of him, the more we witness even the minutest facial expression, we start to understand this guy. McKellen makes him larger than life and very very human. Likewise Coel is superb. Lori is at first, edgy, suspicious and combative. She gives as good as she gets. Slowly we get a peep into who she is and why she behaves the way she does. All of this is very complex and Coel delivers it all so well.
The Christophers is a well scripted film about hurt, regret, and potential redemption and is and absolute delight.
THE CHRISTOPHERS
Starring: Ian McKellen, Michaela Coel, James Corden, Jessica Gunning
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Duration: 100 minutes
In New Zealand cinemas 4 June 2026