Steve

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1:29

Steve

R

2025

1h 33m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

78%

Tomatometer

95 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

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 headteacher Steve and his students at a last-chance reform school amidst 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.

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Critics Consensus

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.

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Craig Mathieson

The Age (Australia)

Oct 16

3/5

[Cillian Murphy's] turmoil is magnetic, but the storytelling can be explanatory and sometimes the overt technique of Belgian director Tim Mielants (Small Things Like These) is skilful but distancing.

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Robert Levin

Newsday

Oct 7

3/4

Most importantly, the movie approaches the stories of these people and their challenging mission with a big, open heart, with the compassion necessary to see the value in the teens' lives instead of simply sweeping them away.

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David Fear

Rolling Stone

Oct 3

It’s handled in such a slapdash, klutzy manner, and feels so cut-rate, that you may find yourself raging alongside the movie’s youngsters. Not even Murphy can sell it.

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Thomas Caffrey

Film Ireland Magazine

Nov 14

Anchored by a dependably compelling Cillian Murphy and supported by a committed cast, it delivers some of the year’s most artful moments of cinema.

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Matthew St. Clair

Cinematic Words of a Chaotic Gemini (Substack)

Oct 30

B

The acting along with its messaging on the importance of teen mental health and feeling less alone, which especially hits home during the climax, make Steve an affecting-enough drama.

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Lisa Trifone

Third Coast Review

Oct 24

3/4

The film is at its most heartbreaking when Steve and the young men in his charge are given space to be vulnerable, something that doesn't come naturally to any of them.

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Ghederick Eshmont

Sep 30

Cillian Murphy is the preeminent actor working these days & his partnership with Tim Mielants is producing some pitch black, beautiful films

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Jerod S

@jeroduptown 4d

Murphy is trying to hold all the pieces and young men of his special school together - but gets hit by his own mental issues.

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Alfredo S.

@alsuarez Feb 2

Un drama profundo que no solo habla sobre la vida de los alumnos, sino también de la de los profesores. Una reflexión sobre l salud mental y la importancia de la educación.

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Bert D

@LordBort92 Feb 1

A raw punch to the gut.

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Achraf R

@Ash_Ketshup Jan 22

A great performance, but feels emotionally draining and bleak

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Sandra V

@RT51142807 Jan 19

I love Cilian Murphy's acting in this story. It is thought-provoking and inspiring to see how a few teachers want to help children like that. Made me remember my dad 's teaching days with students who are like that. Everyone's acting was good. Highly recommend to watch it..

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Steve: Trailer 2

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Synopsis

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 headteacher Steve and his students at a last-chance reform school amidst 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.

Director: Tim Mielants
Producer: Cillian Murphy, Alan Moloney, Tina Pawlik
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Big Things Films
Rating: R (Pervasive Language|Substance Abuse|Some Sexual Material)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 19, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 3, 2025
Runtime: 1h 33m

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