Synopsis

Elderly painter Julian Sklar, once celebrated and now defiantly cantankerous, is nearing the end of his life with a series of unfinished portraits known as The Christophers hanging over his legacy. His estranged children, Sallie and Barnaby, desperate to secure a lucrative inheritance, secretly hire art restorer Lori Butler to complete the abandoned canvases and pass them off as genuine works. Lori, who has her own complicated history with Sklar, infiltrates his life as an assistant and discovers a man still wrestling with old wounds, lost love, and the meaning of artistic truth. As Julian orders her to destroy the unfinished paintings, Lori becomes torn between loyalty, revenge, and the moral weight of forgery. Their uneasy relationship deepens into a battle of wills that exposes long‑buried regrets and simmering family resentments. What begins as a scheme for profit evolves into a sharp, darkly comic exploration of authenticity, legacy, and the price of creation.

Critics Views

“With Ian McKellen in superbly crotchety form and Michaela Coel exuding chilly cunning, it’s further proof that Soderbergh remains one of American cinema’s most inimitable, and adventurous, auteurs.” The Daily Beast

“Some things you simply can’t fake. Take talent: There’s no room for anything shy of genius in The Christophers. “ Variety

“The Christophers is a talky, at times incredibly funny, comedy drama with plot reversals that make it feel like it’s on the verge of a thriller. It doesn’t end up there, at least not strictly, but it’s unpredictable enough to never make us entirely sure just where it’s heading.” The Guardian

“McKellen has been given a wonderful late-career gift in Steven Soderbergh’s The Christophers, a role that allows him to deliver one of his best performances in years.” The Playlist

“Real or fake, finished or not, a genre exercise or a full-hearted statement of purpose, the things we create have an impact on the world that no market could ever be able to measure. And, for better or worse, the same is true of the people who are brave enough to create them.” Indiewire

“A deliciously sly, twisty, darkly comedic take on the art world starring Ian McKellen who has never been better on film.” The Spectator

“Terrifically exhilarating and funny, as bracing as a large vodka and tonic before lunch: fast, literate and funny with a key plot progression elliptically and unsentimentally managed.” The Guardian

Film Rating

IMDb
 Critics: 67%  Audience 59%

Rotten Tomatoes
Critics positive review 79%   Audience Liked It 68%

 Stockbridge Audience Score: TBC%

Audience Comments