Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel Are a Perfect Mismatch in The Christophers

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In Steven Soderbergh’s new film, The Christophers, Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel play artists with very different levels of fame. Both characters have stopped creating new work – McKellen’s character, Julian Sklar, a once-famous artist from the 60s and 70s, hasn’t made art in thirty years and now relies on his reputation, appearing as a judge on TV shows and making cameos online. Michaela Coel plays Lori Butler, a talented artist who struggles to make ends meet working at a food truck and living with roommates. When Lori’s former classmate, Sallie Sklar, and her brother Barnaby approach Lori with a slightly questionable plan involving Julian, Lori’s main concern isn’t whether it’s right or wrong, but if she can actually succeed. Lori has her own personal reasons for disliking Julian, but he’s also generally an easy person to resent.

Steven Soderbergh often releases small, low-key films, and The Christophers is one of them. It’s surprisingly good – not like some of his other, more flawed projects. The film mainly focuses on two characters, Julian and Lori, who engage in a complex, almost combative relationship spanning generations, revealing both their lies and moments of honesty. They both seem deeply hurt by the art world, yet still crave its approval. Lori initially approaches Julian as a potential assistant, but she’s actually been hired by his children to finish his famous series of paintings, also called “The Christophers,” which are portraits of a former lover. These paintings are mostly just rough sketches and have been stored away for years. Julian’s children, Sallie and Barnaby, hope to ‘discover’ and sell them after his death, completing the scheme.

Predictability isn’t engaging, and while The Christophers isn’t a typical thriller, its surprises come from the characters, not the plot. The film’s creators, Soderbergh and Solomon, specifically wrote the roles for Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel, and their contrasting energies make for a captivating pairing. McKellen shines as Julian, a character who is both prickly and charming, so accustomed to playing a role that he’s lost sight of his own defenses. Coel, at her best when performing in her own work, brings a unique, elusive quality to her acting, and this film uses it effectively. Julian intentionally provokes and dismisses others, controlling every interaction, while Lori bottles up her emotions, masking her vulnerability with a dry wit. Coel delivers a standout scene where Lori reveals her deep knowledge of Julian’s work and the Christophers – a project that, despite Julian’s attempts to minimize it, is fundamentally about his most significant love and its painful end.

Lori is trying to get a point across to Julian, but the way Coel delivers her lines suggests she’s reluctant to share what she knows. This makes sense because Lori deeply admires Julian’s work, which is ironically why she also resents him. A key plot twist in the script is shocking, though perhaps not entirely needed. To truly understand something – like Lori understands Julian’s work – you have to be passionate about it, and that makes you vulnerable. The humor in The Christophers comes from its incredibly accurate details – like Julian’s two large London townhouses, which he barely uses and mostly fills with storage. It’s also in Julian’s personality, demonstrated when he casually throws on a worn Burberry coat over his bare chest when Lori points out he’s not fully dressed, and remarks that he was bisexual when the term actually meant something. Despite the director’s subtle approach, the film has a lingering sadness. Julian, having lost his creative spark, can no longer paint, and Lori has lost faith in her own artistic abilities. Beneath the themes of fame, commercialization, and reputation, The Christophers is ultimately a sad story about loving something – or someone – that doesn’t return that love.

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2026-04-10 15:57