Ian McKellen is at his imperious best as a toxic, burned out artist whose new assistant (the equally striking Michaela Coel) has a secret agenda: to get her hands on his famously abandoned series, The Christophers, and complete the canvases for discovery when the old man finally expires. This two-hander brims with energy and erudition as it explores what makes an artist pick up a brush, and what makes a painting worth a second look.
"A sparkling, funny, wise movie... I have rarely enjoyed watching two actors' rapport the way I loved watching McKellen and Coel; it could have gone on forever and not been long enough." Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times
Playing at VIFF Centre from May 21, 2026
Tickets: https://viff.org/whats-on/the-christophers/
