The Critic

London, 1934. Jimmy Erskine (Ian McKellen) is an infamous theatre critic, savagely taking down any actor who doesn't meet his standards. He lives as flamboyantly as he writes; parties into the night, encounters in the park, and cohabiting with his much younger ‘secretary’ Tom Turner (Alfie Enoch). Erskine is especially harsh with Nina Land (Gemma Arterton), a leading lady in-the-making who has long idolised him. However, when his newspaper’s proprietor dies, and David Brooke (Mark Strong), takes over, Erskine is warned that he must adhere to the paper’s new family values. When his job security is threatened, he hatches a devious plan, setting off a chain of events with terrible consequences.