Following its recent cinema release, Ian McKellen’s acclaimed new film The Christophers is now available to watch at home. Directed by the prolific Steven Soderbergh, the film also stars I May Destroy You’s Michaela Coel, Baby Reindeer’s Jessica Gunning, and Gavin & Stacey’s James Corden.
The plot follows an elderly and eccentric painter who never finished his most acclaimed series of works. His greedy children hire an artist to get close to him and secretly finish the work to make a fortune.
However, she ends up striking a genuine friendship with the old man.
Picturehouse
Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 – including Disney+, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV
The Christophers isn’t available on any streaming subscription service yet, but it is available to buy or rent digitally from various online storefronts, such as Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube.
Across the board, the rental price is currently £15.99, while the purchase price is £19.99.
The film has been a big hit with critics, with a near-perfect score of 95% positive on Rotten Tomatoes, from 171 reviews.
“This is a really wonderful film. Very funny, but also sort of moving,” wrote LAist, while Rolling Stone praised its leading duo for how they “turn a wonky art-world story into its own distinctly wonderful work of art”.
Picturehouse
Related: BBC iPlayer is removing a “delightful” British period drama compared to Bridgerton very soon
“Terrifically exhilarating and funny, as bracing as a large vodka and tonic before lunch,” wrote The Guardian. “Fast, literate and funny with a key plot progression elliptically and unsentimentally managed.”
“This is a film which benefits from three elements,” reads Empire’s review. “There’s Soderbergh’s careful, sly, unshowy direction, which keeps things compelling. There’s the delicious original script by Ed Solomon, full of poison-tongued dialogue and rug-pulling turns. And there are sublime performances from its leads, Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel, both absolutely at the top of their game.”
The Christophers is available to buy and rent now on various digital storefronts.
Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.
The new edition of Living Legends, celebrating the global phenomenon of BTS, is here! Buy this ultimate fan guide in newsagents or online.
Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he’s covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I’m a Fish.