Given that director Steven Soderbergh announced his retirement from filmmaking in 2013, he has not worked since. In the past year, he has made four films: the creepy horror Presence, the underrated and underseen Black Bag, and, still to come, a documentary, John Lennon: The Last Interview. His latest, The Christophers, is probably his quietest movie, basically a two-hander that wouldn’t look amiss on stage. And yet this is one of his finest productions, a heist movie that is more mind games than physical action, and it is terrific, mainly because of the unbelievable chemistry between the two leads.

The children of artist Julian Sklar are worried they won’t receive much money when their father dies, so they plan to have forger Lori Butler to infiltrate his world and forge a hidden collection called The Christophers, a collection of portraits of a mysterious man. Lori becomes Julian’s assistant, but it soon becomes apparent that she has her own reasons for committing the crime and is pulling the strings within the family.

It is best to go into this not knowing too much and let the action (or lack thereof) play out before your eyes, as it is cleverly plotted and brimming with twists and turns. You really have to concentrate on what is said. The script, by Ed Solomon, who is better known for writing Bill and Ted as well as Men in Black, is both very playful, sharp, and witty, while taking you on a journey that changes in the blink of an eye. You are drawn into the world of a cantankerous artist who was a judge on an art show that let him be as nasty as possible, leading to him being almost cancelled.

The film is built around who is taking whom for a ride, with most of it focusing on the relationship between the artist and the forger. It’s like watching a battle of wills as Julian bites and barks while Lori quietly listens and watches, using all the information to play both the artist and his greedy siblings. This is more than just a straightforward drama; it is so clever that you never know where it is heading. All you know is that you are in the company of two people whom you could listen to all day.

Soderbergh, who is also the cinematographer, uses the setting of two townhouses in London, with its many levels, to almost hide what people are thinking and feeling. He tracks the actors as they move from room to room, floor to floor, with the same level as the conversations. Yet this is more than just a cerebral battle of wits; it also has much to say about art, the industry, family greed, and revenge.

The performances from the relatively small cast are exceptional, with the siblings Sallie and Barnaby (Jessica Gunning from Baby Reindeer) and James Corden perfect. They have just the right level of nastiness without being caricatures. You would immediately believe they were after the inheritance.

The film, however, belongs to Sir Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel. McKellen is given his best role on screen in years, as the artist who has hidden himself away from the world in his double home, making money filming Cameo videos and having an opinion on everything. It’s part Shakespearean, part villainous, but full of naughty fun and biting wit. It also helps that he has a perfect foil to work with, and Michaela Coel is amazing.

Coel, who made such an impression with her TV shows Chewing Gum and the brilliant I May Destroy You, is wonderfully nuanced. Her face tells everything without giving away anything. She is quiet, underplaying every line, and yet it works brilliantly opposite McKellen’s bullish Julian. She’s one of those actresses who you could watch without her ever opening her mouth. Separately, she is always terrific, but as this double act, they bring out the best of each other.

The Christophers is a wordy piece, but that never makes it boring. It’s intelligent but never talks down to the audience, and it is worth watching just to see the double act we never knew we needed. If this is Soderbergh in retirement mode, then he needs to keep in that realm if he is producing films as good as this.

4 out of 5

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Starring: Sir Ian McKellen, Michaela Coel, Jessica Gunning, James Corden

Written by: Ed Solomon

Running Time: 100 mins

Cert: 15

Release date: 15th May 2026