Steven Soderbergh's New Movie Is a 95%-Rated Intimate Dramedy With 'LoTR' Star You Can't Miss

Steven Soderbergh is arguably the greatest modern experimental filmmaker. He has shot movies on iPhones, created interactive series, and released films simultaneously on big screens, cable TV, and DVD.

His new intimate dramedy, starring Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel, is already being hailed as one of the director's finest works in recent years.

What Is 'The Christophers' About?

85-year-old London artist Julian Sklar earns a living by sending video greetings to his fans. He became famous in the mid-1990s for his Christophers series of portraits titled The Christophers.

His children, daughter Sallie and son Barnaby, realize their father's life is short. They want to force him to finish the paintings he has started. Without new Christophers, the heirs will be left with nothing.

Julian doesn't plan to finish the series, so the children send his new assistant, Lori, to work with him. The plan is for the woman to secretly finish the portraits and earn the family millions.

'The Christophers' Is a Subtle Drama About How Art Is Born

The Christophers doesn't answer the question of how great artists create. Before meeting Lori, Julian couldn't even explain why his muse had abandoned him. The portrait series is rooted in a profound personal tragedy.

These aren't carefully crafted canvases but rather spontaneous expressions of emotion – a way for Sklar to express his pain. After losing a loved one, Sklar lost the desire to return to the paintings that had caused him pain.

Initially, Julian's mischievous wit gradually reveals him to be a deeply vulnerable and lonely man – his jokes and reclusiveness are defenses, a reluctance to show weakness.

The friendship that developed between Julian and Lori is hardly unexpected – for the first time in a long time, the old master has met a kindred spirit, someone who understands him immediately.

Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel Make the Perfect Duo

Soderbergh avoids melodramatic devices and doesn't try to elicit emotions from viewers at any cost. The Christophers is surprisingly therapeutic and shows a rare level of emotional openness from the director.

The Christophers' main strength is its lack of unexpected plot twists – they're simply unnecessary in a short, clear, and warm story with two excellent actors at its center.

Ian McKellen plays the grumpy genius with such depth that he is completely believable, and Michaela Coel portrays a withdrawn yet vibrant artist who is unafraid to speak her mind yet remains vulnerable. Their scenes together are a true acting masterclass.

The Christophers is a film about creativity, old age, unexpected friendship, and how inspiration can return when you least expect it.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Christophers'?

• The Christophers has 95% from critics and 86% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.0/10.

• On Letterboxd, The Christophers scored 3.5/5.0.