The Christophers (15)

Sir Ian McKellen and I May Destroy You‘s Michaela Coel spar in Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh’s (Out of Sight, Traffic, Magic Mike) incisive chamber comedy of art and avarice, supported by Baby Reindeer’s Jessica Gunning and James Corden.

Lori (Coel) divides her time between art restoration and work in a food truck. Her lacklustre fortunes change when she’s approached by the estranged heirs (Gunning, Corden) of brilliant painter Julian Sklar (McKellen) with an exciting proposition: Lori will steal a series of abandoned paintings (‘The Christophers’) from Sklar’s home, complete them and reap a percentage once the paintings are sold after Sklar’s imminent death. What could possibly go wrong?

Brilliantly scripted by Ed Solomon, blisteringly performed by an acerbic McKellen and a cagey Coel, The Christophers is a witty and exhilarating film that serves up thorny truths about youth and old age, artistic integrity and legacy.