The Critic, penned by Notes On A Scandal screenwriter Patrick Marber, so you know it’s gonna be juicy!Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.In 1930s London, Jimmy Erskine (McKellen) is one of the most revered and feared theater critics around, known for his flamboyant writing and career-ending pans in the newspaper The London Chronicle.For whatever reason, Erskine seems to have it out for would-be starlet Nina Land (Quantum Of Solace‘s Gemma Arterton), reserving his harshest critiques for her.
And his sexuality is a bit of an open secret around town, as he’s known for partying hard and is frequently spotted alongside his younger male lover Tom (How To Get Away With Murder‘s Alfred Enoch).But when the Chronicle‘s owner passes, his ambitious son Viscount David Brooke (Kingsman‘s Mark Strong) takes over, with big ideas for softening the paper’s tone—which includes keeping a close eye on both Erskine’s inflammatory writing and how he chooses to spend his free time.It’s not long before Brooke has had enough, relinquishing Erskine of his long-held role at the paper and all but throwing him to the wolves, a.k.a.