Directed by Steven Soderbergh, THE CHRISTOPHERS centers on Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen), a legendary but reclusive British painter who has largely retired from the art world to record snarky videos for fans on Cameo. His estranged, greedy children, Barnaby (James Corden) and Sallie (Jessica Gunning), discover a series of unfinished canvases in his attic, the final installment of his world-famous “Christopher” series.
Knowing the paintings would be worth millions if finished, but aware that their father has no interest in completing them, the siblings hire Lori Butler (Michaela Coel), a struggling artist and expert restorer. Lori is sent into Julian’s home under the guise of being his new assistant, with the secret mission to forge the remaining details of the paintings so they can be sold after Julian’s death. However, as Lori and Julian engage in a high-stakes “mental chess match,” they discover a shared disillusionment with the modern world that complicates the scam.
R | UK | 2025 | 1h 40m
Directed by Stephen Soderbergh
Starring Ian McKellen, Michaela Coel, James Corden
Strand Film Series sponsors
