--- title: "The Christophers: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-christophers/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-christophers" critics_score: 75 critics_reviews: 18 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Christophers (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 75 from 18 reviews: 15 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like The Christophers a good deal, and they like it for the same reason: Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel. The reviews return again and again to the pairing, the sardonic old painter against the steady forger, and to the pleasure of watching two actors argue about art, ownership and legacy in a single London house. Ed Solomon’s script gets credit for its twists and its talk, and Soderbergh for keeping the chamber piece light on its feet. The reservations are mild and scattered. Some find the plot slender, some find the one-room setting claustrophobic by the end, and a few call it lesser Soderbergh, well made but easier to copy than his best work. Little White Lies thinks the painter’s grasping children are drawn as cartoons. The spread is narrow apart from one outlier: The Telegraph calls it half a film and blames a feeble script, a view no one else shares. ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2025. Festival review. There is no room for anything shy of genius in this crackling original drama about artistic legacy. McKellen and Coel are brilliantly matched as the aging art star and the forger in a sharp two-hander full of mental jousting and questions about ownership and memory. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/the-christophers-review-ian-mckellen-michaela-coel-1236511283/) ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 8 May 2026. The critic praises this as a terrific two-hander driven by sublime lead performances from Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel, along with Soderbergh's sly direction and Ed Solomon's sharp, twisty script full of witty dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-christophers/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2026. The critic praises the film's witty take on art, value and attribution, highlighting Soderbergh and Solomon's convincing portrayal of haughty Englishness comparable to Gosford Park and Phantom Thread. Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel deliver standout performances as the irascible painter and his assistant. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/may/14/the-christophers-review-ian-mckellen-michaela-coel) ## The New Yorker — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 3 April 2026. Soderbergh’s film is satisfying in every respect as two skilled painters move from deception to common ground. Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel are superbly matched in this artists’ duel set in a ramshackle London townhouse. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/04/13/the-christophers-movie-review) ## RogerEbert.com — Brian Tallerico Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 September 2025. Festival review. The film is a light-footed chamber piece showcasing two phenomenal performers in conversations about art and ownership. McKellen and Coel’s interplay as the bitter artist and the cunning restorer gives it intellectual life and curiosity. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/tiff-2025-the-christophers-sons-dead-mans-wire-tuner) ## The Observer — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 May 2026. The review lauds the terrific two-hander as a meaty study of character and the creative process, driven by the crackling chemistry between McKellen's raffish painter and Coel's mismatched assistant. It highlights small, perfectly judged flourishes that make the odd-couple art-world tale charmingly raffish. [Read the review](https://observer.co.uk/culture/film/article/the-christophers-paints-the-colourful-lives-of-artists) ## Time Out — Elizabeth Weitzman Rating 4/5. 8 April 2026. The critic highlights the film's existence as a win for old-school artistry and praises the twisty, dialogue-driven drama anchored by McKellen and Coel's engaging performances. The script's depth and Soderbergh's direction elevate the chamber-piece setup. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-christophers-review-2026) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2026. The critic highlights the perfect mismatch in energy between McKellen and Coel in this sly dramedy, praising the character-driven twists and melancholy undertones about art and love. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/ian-mckellen-and-michaela-coel-are-a-perfect-mismatch.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Amy Nicholson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 9 April 2026. No actor this month enjoys themselves more than Ian McKellen as the egomaniac painter in this slender pleasure. The plot doodles along as the artist and the restorer thwart his money-grubbing children while interrogating why they make art. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-04-09/christophers-review-ian-mckellen-michaela-cole-steven-soderbergh) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2026. The review celebrates the earnest, witty and beguiling heist movie as a masterclass from McKellen and Coel, noting their mutually dependent yet combative double act in a character-driven story. It singles out the performances and Soderbergh's loose approach to the genre for praise. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/the-christophers-review-ian-mckellen-michaela-coel-t762htcp7) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2025. Festival review. The critic describes the Toronto premiere as a witty, chatty two-hander where McKellen's sardonic artist meets his match in Coel's frank preservationist, delivering charming intellectual sparring. The film's Toronto bow and strong cast are noted positively. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-christophers-review-steven-soderberghs-witty-chamber-piece-stars-ian-mckellen-and-michaela-coel/5208692.article) ## Little White Lies — Marina Ashioti Rating 3/3/4. 14 May 2026. The critic calls it a brilliant showcase for McKellen and Coel, with their contrasting performances driving a charming, intelligent two-hander that explores art, identity and authorship. The siblings' cartoonish portrayal is noted as a minor drawback. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-christophers) ## The Telegraph — Tim Robey Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2026. The critic finds the film more like half a film, with details that do not add up, and criticises the disappointingly feeble script by Ed Solomon despite the strong cast. Even McKellen cannot salvage the weak material, which fails to explore its themes deeply. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2026/05/15/the-christophers-film-review-ian-mckellen/) ## Sight and Sound 7 May 2026. The critic praises Soderbergh's quick-witted chamber piece for its rich ideas about art, criticism, forgery and legacy, centered on the tense, theatrical sparring between McKellen's flamboyant painter and Coel's steely forger. The performances and stripped-down focus on two people in a room stand out as highlights. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/christophers-steven-soderbergh-pits-ian-mckellen-against-michaela-coel-film-rich-with-ideas-about-art-criticism-forgery) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney 9 September 2025. Festival review. The critic praises the verbal sparring and performances of Michaela Coel and Ian McKellen in this tart art comedy about legacy and greed. Soderbergh directs with playful control, highlighting the actors' chemistry. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-christophers-review-ian-mckellen-steven-soderbergh-1236365897/) ## The New York Times — Alissa Wilkinson Rating Critic’s Pick. 9 April 2026. Soderbergh delivers a sparkling, funny, wise movie about two painters who consider themselves failures and how money shapes art. Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel are terrific as the cranky veteran artist and the skilled restorer drawn into his orbit. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/movies/the-christophers-review.html) ## /Film — Jeremy Mathai Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 25 August 2026. The film starts as a heist but pivots into a nuanced two-hander on artistry, legacy, and generational divides, with excellent performances from McKellen and Coel that make it a must-watch streaming gem. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/2243787/ian-mckellen-underrated-heist-movie-the-christophers-streaming-hulu/) ## The Playlist — Gregory Ellwood Rating B+. 8 September 2025. Festival review. The film gives Ian McKellen one of his best late-career roles as a cantankerous artist, with strong chemistry and sharp dialogue alongside Michaela Coel; it is a very good chamber piece on legacy and closure but becomes overly claustrophobic in its small-room setting. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/the-christophers-review-ian-mckellen-michaela-coel-spar-in-steven-soderberghs-smart-art-world-drama-tiff-20250908/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2025. Festival review. The critic calls McKellen and Coel riveting and highlights Soderbergh's chamber drama as a compelling meditation on art, integrity and legacy beyond its forgery premise. It describes the film as unexpectedly engrossing with curious final notes, though not the director's most exciting work. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-christophers-review-steven-soderbergh-ian-mckellen-michaela-coel/) ## Deadline — Damon Wise Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2025. Festival review. The critic praises Ian McKellen's perfect performance as the eccentric, trailblazing artist and notes the film's unusually emotional tone for Soderbergh along with its thoughtful questions about art, forgery and legacy. It finds the story a bit uneven and opaque in balancing the two leads but ultimately worthy and resonant. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2025/09/the-christophers-review-ian-mckellen-steven-soderbergh-michaela-cole-1236528402/) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating 6/10. 15 September 2025. Festival review. The film is a solid but lesser chamber piece and formal experiment from Soderbergh that takes time to engage and feels easier to replicate than his typical work. McKellen and especially Coel are singled out for their strong, contrasting performances and dynamic interplay as the cantankerous artist and the forger. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-christophers-review-steven-soderbergh-ian-mckellan-michaela-coel/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-christophers.md