Cillian Murphy may still be at the apex of his popularity after his Oscar Best Actor win for “Oppenheimer,” not to mention the staying power of “Peaky Blinders.” That’s not stopping him from starring in smaller, more modest productions, though. After last year’s “Small Things Like These,” he stars in another film by director Tim Mileants, and it arrives on Netflix today.
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Based on Max Porter‘s 2023 novella “Shy,” “Steve” stars Murphy and Jay Lycurgo in a story about the headmaster in charge of a school for boys with behavioral difficulties and one of his troubled students. Read on for an official synopsis, courtesy of Netflix:
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 (Academy Award® winner Cillian Murphy) 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 (Jay Lycurgo), 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.
Mileants directs a script by Porter, adapting his novella, for “Steve.” Producers on the film include Murphy, Alan Moloney, and Tina Pawlik. Porter also serves as an executive producer on the pic. Also of note: Ben Sailsbury and Geoff Barrow compose music for “Steve,” their eleventh film collaboration together.
“Steve” had its world premiere last month at the 50th edition of TIFF, where it received generally high marks from critics. The Playlist’s review wasn’t as wild about it, however; read it here.
“Steve” premieres on Netflix today. Watch the new trailer for the film below.
