A brand new film starring Cillian Murphy has dropped on Netflix, and fans are pitching it for the Oscars. Steve is a 2025 drama film directed by Tim Mielants and written by Max Porter. It is based on Porter’s 2023 novella Shy. Alongside Murphy, the film stars Tracey Ullman, Jay Lycurgo, Simbi Ajikawo, and Emily Watson.
The film’s synopsis reads: “Set in the mid-90s, Steve is a reimagining of Max Porter’s Sunday Times bestseller Shy. The film follows a pivotal day in the life of head teacher Steve and his students at a last-chance reform school amid a world that has forsaken them. As Steve fights to protect the school’s integrity and impending closure, we witness him grappling with his own mental health. In parallel to Steve’s struggles, we meet Shy, a troubled teen caught between his past and what lies ahead as he tries to reconcile his inner fragility with his impulse for self-destruction and violence.”
Steve has received generally positive feedback upon its release, and its 77% rating from the critics of Rotten Tomatoes reflects this. Their critics’ consensus reads: “A sobering drama that throws everything along with the kitchen sink at its doggedly determined hero, Steve‘s pileup of crises can strain credulity but Cillian Murphy’s superb performance keeps it grounded in reality.”
One critic explained: “Steve is a film about what can happen when someone falls between the cracks. It’s a thoughtful exploration of mental health that’s carried throughout by a strong cast all the way to its triumphant conclusion.”
A fan of the movie said: “What an actor, Cillian Murphy deserves an Oscar. This film reminded me why I wanted to work with children who have no one but bad memories and life experiences. To see the raw truth of our teenagers today and the generations slipping as time goes on. Although he may not have written it, who better to play a part because I felt every bit of it.”
“A powerful, moving drama that follows a day in the life of Cillian Murphy’s titular head teacher of last-chance reform school, as he battles to keep the school afloat alongside his fracturing mental health,” another added.
Steve is now available to stream on Netflix.