By Isha Sharma | Oct 03, 2025 | 04:43 pm

**What’s the story?**

*Cillian Murphy’s Steve*, out now on Netflix, is directed by Tim Mielants, who previously collaborated with Murphy on *Small Things Like These*. Based on Max Porter’s 2023 novella, *Shy*, the film traces a turbulent, nerve-racking day in the life of Steve, the headmaster of a reform school for boys. Murphy excels in his complex role, but the film leaves much to be desired.

—

### Plot: Follows a committed, troubled teacher at a reform school

The film centers on Steve, the headmaster of Stanton Wood, a reform school for unruly male teens. His mental health is in tatters, the staff is underpaid and overworked, and the boys show little to no sign of progress. One day, authorities inform Steve that the school will be closed in six months, leaving him to come to terms with this shocking and unfortunate news.

—

### #1 Murphy delivers a stirring act

Cillian Murphy captures the ache, anxiety, and aggression of Steve exceedingly well—you can truly sense the storm brewing inside him. Steve wears himself out trying to help the kids, and Murphy essays the role with just the right amount of intensity. For Steve, this job is a form of redemption; saving the boys would mean rescuing himself too.

—

### #2 The film has ambition, but not everything comes together

The film offers sharp dialogue and boasts an ensemble cast of talented, experienced actors including Emily Watson and Tracey Ullman. However, aside from Steve, every character feels underwritten and remains distant from the audience. Adding to this, the ending comes across as quite incomplete. Rather than encouraging reflection, it simply leaves viewers frustrated.

—

### #3 The movie begins to feel weary after a point

An unbridled energy and constant chaos define the film—boys fighting, teachers struggling, and an exploitative documentary crew conducting interviews. Everything happens simultaneously, and the school is in complete disarray. While this frenetic energy works in the film’s favor initially, it soon begins to overwhelm the narrative, leaving viewers feeling exhausted rather than entertained.

—

### #4 More on the above aspect

The film has an unapologetically raw and realistic feel but struggles to engage fully. You stay with it because you want to see how Steve’s journey will unfold, but the wayward, sloppy writing never makes this easy. The boys get ample screentime, yet by the film’s end, we know very little about them.

—

### Verdict: Murphy’s performance alone can’t save the film

*Cillian Murphy delivers a scintillating performance in Steve and leaves no room for complaint, but his artistry alone cannot save the movie.* The film feels tiring and tedious, frequently finding itself on shaky, uneven ground. While Murphy’s role is one for the ages and the film maintains an intense, gritty atmosphere, the overall experience is an unrewarding and unentertaining ride.

**Rating: 2.5/5 stars**
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/cillian-murphy-s-steve-review/story

By Isha Sharma | Oct 03, 2025 | 04:43 pm

**What’s the story?**

*Cillian Murphy’s Steve*, out now on Netflix, is directed by Tim Mielants, who previously collaborated with him on *Small Things Like These*. Based on Max Porter’s 2023 novella *Shy*, the film traces a turbulent, nerve-racking day in the life of Steve, the headmaster of a reform school for boys.

Murphy excels in his complex role, but the film overall leaves much to be desired.

—

### Plot: A committed, troubled teacher at a reform school

The film follows Steve, the headmaster of Stanton Wood, a reform school for unruly male teens. His mental health is in tatters, the staff is underpaid and overworked, and the boys show little to no sign of progress.

One day, authorities inform Steve that the school will be closed in six months, leaving him to come to terms with this shocking and unfortunate news.

—

### #1 Murphy delivers a stirring act

Murphy captures the ache, anxiety, and aggression of Steve exceedingly well—you can truly sense the storm brewing inside him. Steve wears himself out trying to help the kids, and Murphy essays this role with just the right amount of intensity.

He views this job as a form of redemption; saving the boys would mean rescuing himself too.

—

### #2 The film has ambition, but not everything comes together

The film offers sharp dialogue and boasts an ensemble cast of talented, experienced actors, including Emily Watson and Tracey Ullman. However, aside from Steve, every character is underwritten and remains distant from the audience.

Additionally, the ending comes across as quite incomplete. Rather than encouraging reflection, it simply leaves viewers frustrated.

—

### #3 The movie begins to feel weary after a point

A sense of unbridled energy and chaos defines the film: the boys are fighting, the teachers are struggling, and an exploitative documentary crew is conducting interviews—all happening simultaneously in a school in complete disarray.

While this energy works in the film’s favor initially, it soon overwhelms the story, leaving the audience feeling exhausted rather than entertained.

—

### #4 More on the above aspect

The film has an unapologetically raw and realistic feel but struggles to truly engage. You stay with it, hoping to see how Steve’s journey unfolds, but the wayward, sloppy writing makes this difficult.

The boys get ample screen time; yet, by the end, we remain none the wiser about their characters.

—

### Verdict: Murphy’s performance alone can’t save the film — 2.5/5 stars

Murphy delivers a scintillating performance in *Steve* and leaves no room for complaint. However, his artistic chops alone cannot save the movie.

The film feels tiring and tedious, often standing on shaky, uneven ground. While Murphy’s performance is one for the ages and the film feels intense and gritty, overall, it is an unrewarding, unentertaining ride.

**Rating: 2.5/5 stars**
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/cillian-murphy-s-steve-review/story

By Isha Sharma | Oct 03, 2025 | 04:43 pm

**What’s the story?**

*Cillian Murphy’s Steve*, out now on Netflix, is directed by Tim Mielants, who previously collaborated with Murphy on *Small Things Like These*. Based on Max Porter’s 2023 novella *Shy*, the film traces a turbulent, nerve-racking day in the life of Steve, the headmaster of a reform school for boys. Murphy excels in his complex role, but the film leaves much to be desired.

—

### Plot: A committed, troubled teacher at a reform school

The film follows Steve, the headmaster of Stanton Wood, a reform school for unruly male teens. His mental health is in tatters, the staff is underpaid and overworked, and the boys show little to no sign of progress. One day, authorities inform Steve that the school will be closed in six months, leaving him to come to terms with this shocking, unfortunate news.

—

### #1 Murphy delivers a stirring act

Murphy captures the ache, anxiety, and aggression of Steve exceedingly well—you can sense the storm brewing inside him. Steve wears himself out trying to help the kids, and Murphy essays this role with just the right amount of intensity. He views the job as a form of redemption; saving the boys would mean rescuing himself, too.

—

### #2 The film has ambition, but not everything comes together

The film offers sharp dialogue and features an ensemble cast of talented, experienced actors such as Emily Watson and Tracey Ullman. However, aside from Steve, every character is underwritten and remains distant from the audience. To make matters worse, the ending feels quite incomplete. It doesn’t invite reflection but rather leaves you frustrated.

—

### #3 The movie begins to feel weary after a point

A sense of unbridled energy and chaos defines the film—the boys are fighting, the teachers are struggling, and an exploitative documentary crew conducts interviews. Everything happens simultaneously, and the school is in complete disarray. While this energy works initially, it soon begins to overwhelm the film, leaving viewers feeling exhausted rather than entertained.

—

### #4 More on the above aspect

The film takes an unapologetically raw and realistic approach but struggles to maintain engagement. You stick with it because you want to see how Steve’s journey unfolds, but the wayward, sloppy writing never makes it easy. The boys receive ample screen time, yet by the end, we know little more about them than before.

—

### Verdict: Murphy’s performance alone can’t save the film — 2.5/5 stars

Cillian Murphy delivers a scintillating performance in *Steve* and leaves no room for complaint, but his artistic chops alone cannot save the movie. The film feels tiring and tedious, often teetering on shaky, uneven ground. Murphy’s portrayal is one for the ages, and the film is intense and gritty, but overall, it is an unrewarding and unentertaining ride.

**Rating: 2.5/5 stars**
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/cillian-murphy-s-steve-review/story