Following his two releases in 2025 – “Black Bag,” a succinct spy thriller and one of my favorite films of last year, and the haunted art-house drama, “Presence” – filmmaker Steven Soderbergh returns with a black comedy that shouldn’t be as entrancing, nor as full-bodied, as it is. Slow to build, though a runaway train once it starts, “The Christophers” is a study of dichotomy. Of performances, of characters, of wonky family dynamics, and, most urgently, of what it means to create. It also dives headlong into the concept of art as both an industry and as a wholly human endeavor, sold by its charming leads.
The thoughtfulness of the story is enhanced by the dependence of the script by Ed Solomon on dialogue, or, sometimes, what isn’t said. Michaela Coel stars as Lori, a struggling artist with a particular talent for reproduction. She’s approached with an enticing offer: complete a long-abandoned series of canvases by world-renowned painter, Julian Sklar (played by the renowned Ian McKellen), in order to increase their value before his death. The intellectual property heist, of sorts, has been concocted by his greedy estranged children Sallie (Jessica Gunning) and Barnaby (James Corden), who look to profit off the series’ completion. Lori would be cut in on the deal as well.
The seedy proposition and its moral implications aren’t issues for Lori. Played by Coel with an impenetrable façade, Lori’s well of distrust in the system and her punctured reserve of confidence in herself are bewitching to see play out in Coel’s stoic, layered performance. Lori agrees to the lies, though it is clear subterfuge is not her specialty.
Even her actual specialty – replicating Julian’s characteristic style – comes at a cost to her sense of virtue and propriety. Complicating the mission further is the artist himself, a curmudgeonly recluse who spends his days holed up in his studio, making videos to adoring fans for money. His bright ring light and costumed presentation are in stark contrast to the reality of Julian’s chaotic existence. He rarely leaves the confines of his London walk-up; there are rooms in the home he hasn’t visited in years, which is why Lori’s mission should seem straightforward.
Though he claims to have no interest in his abandoned series, which is the third set in his renowned collection titled “The Christophers,” Julian is adamantly attached to the unfinished panels, which are rudimentary sketches at best. He won’t relinquish them. He won’t destroy them. He won’t complete them. But what he will do is allow them to remain a reminder of a long-ago heartbreak. For a man who is willing to sell himself for a few bucks online, he holds these pieces with a reverence that proves there are more layers of paint than what meets the eye.
As Lori attempts to outplay Julian for her own easy buck, their individual artistry seeps through, uniting two maestros who may operate in different keys, but who speak the same universal language of their craft. Set predominantly in the stodgy apartment, “The Christophers” benefits from its talented ensemble and steady-handed direction. Soderbergh’s pacing is, as always, perfectly restrained, opting to linger in tight shots that both bring the audience into the madness, and have us eager for a way out.
The yin and yang of McKellen’s lavish, histrionic portrayal and Coel’s restrained, purposeful performance counterbalance one another in surprising ways. Just when you wish for Lori to say something, to fill the screen with words and feelings, Coel digs her heels deeper into the silences of Solomon’s script, expressing more with a look or the squaring of her shoulders than any monologue could convey.
In contrast, McKellen honks the horn of his roaring locomotive, willing viewers to his plight by sheer force of will and plenty of sharp, snarky one-liners. The film is built on such dialogue, often allowing McKellan as Julian to ramble around the point for a while. It is Coel’s Lori who finally chips away the unnecessary rock to reveal the stone work of art lying in wait. What is art? And who is allowed to bear judgment on it? When it comes to Soderbergh, we remain in awe of his craft.
“The Christophers” is in theaters now.
