After serving up a tour de force performance and taking home an Academy Award for his exceptional role as J. Robert Oppenheimer in the blockbuster masterpiece Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy is back and once again in fine form in the compelling drama Steve. Based on Max Porter’s novel Shy, the Netflix original focuses on the titular teacher as he struggles to keep his school afloat while combating not only his own mental health but also his challenging students, namely a troubled teenager named Shy who is weighed down by a violent past.
With the additional talents of stars like Tracey Ullman, Emily Watson, and Jay Lycurgo, Steve marks just Murphy’s second film following the 2023 global phenomenon Oppenheimer, with the Irishman having also appeared in the historical drama Small Things like These. Not only does Murphy headline the adaptation, he also serves as an executive producer for the drama, and like every project the leading man takes on, both Steve and his poignant portrayal are garnering widespread acclaim from both critics and audiences alike. Let’s take a closer look.
Murphy Makes His Triumphant Acting Return in ‘Steve’
With every character or project he tackles, Cillian Murphy has repeatedly proven himself to be one of Hollywood’s most transformative actors, with the gifted Irishman having served up unforgettable performances in silver screen hits like 28 Days Later, Batman Begins, and Dunkirk as well as the TV juggernaut Peaky Blinders. After helping Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer become a massive global sensation that grossed nearly $1 billion and won seven Academy Awards, Murphy decided to scale things back a bit with the powerful drama Steve, which marks the second collaboration between the actor and Belgian filmmaker Tim Mielants after Small Things like These.
Set in the mid-’90s over the course of just 24 hours, the film focuses on Steve (Murphy), the headteacher of the reform college Stanton Wood Manor who is fighting to keep the school’s doors open amid endless budget cuts and a lack of community support. Not only does Steve help manage the personal and professional dynamics amongst the faculty and students, but he is also plagued by his own personal demons and difficult mental struggles. The boarding school was designed to help nurture and guide troubled young men that society has all but discarded, with Steve having a soft spot for one particular student plagued by trauma, Shy (Jay Lycurgo).
‘Steve’ Provides a Poignant Look at Mental Health & Education
The engrossing adaptation shines a light on the determined educators who want to make a difference in the lives of society’s more troubled kids while also exploring the intricacies of mental health amongst not only the youth but the selfless workers themselves. Author Max Porter also crafted the screenplay for the Netflix film and sent Murphy a copy of the novel before it was completed, which Murphy was later quoted as saying, “It just broke my heart. They’re the sorts of things I love as a reader and as a performer.” The Oscar-winner is revered for playing imperfect characters who are deeply flawed and layered, with Murphy telling The Globe and Mail why he’s attracted to such roles:
“I think everyone is struggling – it’s just a spectrum of how much or how little. I’m so bored and uninterested in human perfection. For me, when a protagonist is attempting to do the right thing but is failing or struggling to get through the day, or is contradicting themselves in a way that is weak, flawed or hypocritical – to me, that’s humanity. That’s where the truth is.”
In Steve, Murphy’s devoted teacher puts on a facade in order to keep his fellow staff members and students hopeful in spite of facing an immediate shutdown, budget cuts, and setbacks of all shapes and sizes. Steve is also tormented by his own precarious mental health and unresolved past trauma, and his emotional journey directly coincides with that of teenager Shy, who is forced to acknowledge his self-destructive tendencies and urges. Together, the two struggling characters must find a way to overcome their personal demons, doing so with a camera crew parked outside the school as the future of Stanton Wood Manor hangs in the balance.
Steve made its worldwide debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Platform Prize before making its way to Netflix on October 3, 2025, and unsurprisingly, Murphy’s performance as the compassionate educator has been garnering rave reviews from critics and fans. The immersive drama currently has a solid 76% Rotten Tomatoes score and 7.2/10 IMDb user rating, proving that the adaptation and its poignant message is resonating with audiences everywhere. One user on IMDb raved, “What a performance by Cillian Murphy and Jay Lycurgo; truly heartbreaking performances that make you feel deeply.”
Critics are also in agreement, as they have praised the film for its raw examination of both mental health and the education system as well as Murphy’s magnetic portrayal, which further cements his status as one of the cinema’s most exciting and celebrated stars. Many have been saying that both Murphy and Lycurgo served up Oscar-worthy performances as the teacher and student, with The Hollywood Reporter saying of the leading man in the moving adaptation: “[Cillian Murphy] gives a riveting performance, with searing pain fighting against the self-control and measured disposition he requires to do the job.” Steve is streaming now on Netflix.
- Release Date
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October 3, 2025
- Runtime
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92 minutes
- Director
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Tim Mielants
- Writers
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Max Porter
- Producers
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Alan Moloney