THE CHRISTOPHERS
Starring: Michaela Coel, Ian McKellen, Jessica Gunning, and James Corden
Director: Steven Soderbergh
AMARÚ
Here is one thing I didn’t think I would say about The Christophers: it’s adorable. Or more appropriately, Sir Ian McKellen playing devilishly adorable makes the film an entertaining watch. He’s a one-man wrecking crew of brash insults and hilarious narcissism. Michaela Coel, conversely, plays off him tremendously with just a piercing look, and both performers needed all the charm they could muster to dive deeper into the messages of adequacy and affirmation the surface-level script couldn’t quite grasp. The leads prove there’s something to this film, and you could feel that every time the story just escaped beyond that something’s reach.
BODE
Whenever director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Ed Solomon have collaborated, the results (which include Mosaic and No Sudden Move) have never been uninteresting. The Christophers is their fourth project together, and it’s a chamber piece that ruminates on the relationship between art and commerce. It never gets as deep as one would hope, and the pacing can be a bit lackadaisical at times, making it their weakest effort. Still, it’s got great actors like Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel charmingly riffing off each other, alongside a great score from Soderbergh regular David Holmes. So, you can’t go too wrong with that.
ADRIANO
Director Steven Soderbergh’s commitment to always delivering something different continues with The Christophers. This one seems a lot more personal to him, as it explores the mere idea of singular artistic expression, although his recent gleeful acceptance of AI does make me question that thesis. All that said, while watching Michaela Coel and an erratic Ian McKellan going at each other's throats is entertaining, The Christophers loses its edge early, in part due to the loose plot ending quickly. Soderbergh’s direction is also uncharacteristically unengaging, making even the more enjoyable moments, like the film as a whole, ultimately forgettable.
This film was reviewed by Amarú as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.