Steve (2025) follows Steve, a headteacher at a last-chance reform school for boys in mid-1990s England, during one fraught 24-hour period. As he struggles to keep order and protect the school from closure, Steve battles his own mental health issues and substance problems, while also dealing with the everyday chaos of discipline, staff conflicts, and the fragile emotional states of his students. Among them is Shy, a troubled young boy torn between self-destruction and the hope for redemption. Loud And Clear Reviews+5Rotten Tomatoes+5Wikipedia+5

A documentary film crew’s presence in the school adds extra pressure and scrutiny as the institutional vulnerabilities and personal breakdowns converge. The Guardian+3Letterboxd+3Netflix+3

Film Details

Below is the collected and organized information about Steve (2025):

AttributeDetail
TitleSteve
Year2025
GenreDrama
DirectorTim Mielants Variety+3Wikipedia+3Netflix+3
Screenwriter / AdaptationMax Porter (adapted from his 2023 novella Shy) Variety+3Wikipedia+3Movie Insider+3
ProducersAlan Moloney, Cillian Murphy, Tina Pawlik Wikipedia+4Wikipedia+4Movie Insider+4
CinematographyRobrecht Heyvaert Wikipedia
Music / ScoreBen Salisbury & Geoff Barrow Wikipedia+2Netflix+2
EditorDanielle Palmer Wikipedia
Production CompaniesBig Things Films (Murphy’s company) Variety+3Wikipedia+3Netflix+3
DistributorNetflix (Worldwide) Movie Insider+3Wikipedia+3Netflix+3
Country / LanguageUnited Kingdom & Ireland / English Rotten Tomatoes+3Wikipedia+3Movie Insider+3
Runtime~92 minutes (1h 33m) Loud And Clear Reviews+4Wikipedia+4Rotten Tomatoes+4
Release DatesWorld premiere: 5 September 2025 (TIFF) primetimer.com+4Loud And Clear Reviews+4Movie Insider+4 
Select theaters: 19 September 2025 Rotten Tomatoes+4Movie Insider+4Wikipedia+4 
Netflix streaming: 3 October 2025 Loud And Clear Reviews+5Netflix+5Movie Insider+5
Cast (selected)Cillian Murphy as Steve Variety+3Wikipedia+3Netflix+3 
Jay Lycurgo as Shy The Guardian+4Wikipedia+4Netflix+4 
Tracey Ullman, Simbi Ajikawo, Emily Watson Variety+3Wikipedia+3Netflix+3
Source / AdaptationBased on the novella Shy by Max Porter (2023) Variety+4Wikipedia+4Movie Insider+4
Reception / ReviewsGenerally favorable; critics praise Murphy’s performance, note that the film is chaotic and emotionally intense. Wikipedia+5Variety+5The Guardian+5 
On IMDb it holds a rating ~7.2/10 (based on limited user reviews early) IMDb 
Rotten Tomatoes summary: “As Steve fights to protect the school’s integrity â€Ļ we witness him grappling with his own mental health.” Rotten Tomatoes
Other NotesThe film shifts the narrative focus from the troubled student Shy (in the original novella) to the teacher Steve. Movie Insider+4Decider+4Loud And Clear Reviews+4 
The presence of a documentary crew in the film acts as a framing device, intensifying tension and scrutiny. Letterboxd+2Netflix+2 
Steve also struggles with internal demons (alcohol, substance use, guilt) and the burdens of leadership in a failing system. Movie Insider+4The Guardian+4Roger Ebert+4 
The film was shot from May to July 2024, including locations in the UK (for example Bath) Wikipedia+2Movie Insider+2