| Steve | |
|---|---|
 Release poster | |
| Directed by | Tim Mielants |
| Screenplay by | Max Porter |
| Based on | Shy by Max Porter |
| Produced by | |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Robrecht Heyvaert |
| Edited by | Danielle Palmer |
| Music by | |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Netflix (Worldwide) Volta Pictures (Ireland)[1] |
Release dates |
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Running time | 92 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
Steve is a 2025drama film directed byTim Mielants and written byMax Porter, based on his 2023 novellaShy. The film starsCillian Murphy,Tracey Ullman,Jay Lycurgo,Simbi Ajikawo, andEmily Watson.[2][3]
Steve had its world premiere in thePlatform Prize section of the2025 Toronto International Film Festival, and was released inselect cinemas in the United Kingdom and the United States on 19 September 2025, before its streaming debut on 3 October 2025 byNetflix.
Steve is a headteacher in charge of a school for boys with societal and behavioural difficulties.[4]
The project was announced forNetflix in February 2024 as being produced byCillian Murphy's production company, Big Things Films, with his collaboratorAlan Moloney also a producer. Tim Mielants directed, andMax Porter adapted his own novelShy for the film.[5] Murphy and Porter previously collaborated on the stage adaptation of Porter'sGrief Is the Thing with Feathers and on the short filmAll of This Unreal Time. Porter gave Murphy a copy ofShy in a proof edition before it was completed and Murphy was quoted as saying "it just broke my heart. They're the sorts of things I love as a reader and as a performer".[6]Jay Lycurgo also joined the cast.[7]
Principal photography began on May 24, 2024, and wrapped on July 5 in the UK.[8] Filming locations includedBath, Somerset.[9]
Steve was released in select theaters in the United Kingdom and in the United States on 19 September, before being released worldwide on Netflix on 3 October 2025.[10]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 77% of 88 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "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."[11]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[12]
Damon Wise forDeadline writes that the film "breezes by at a surprisingly brisk pace" and "packs a lot of deep thought into a seemingly slight tale."[13]
The film received nominations for theBritish Independent Film Awards 2025, including best lead performance for Cillian Murphy and best supporting performance by Jay Lycurgo.[14] In January 2026, the film was nominated at theIrish Film & Television Awards for best film, and best lead actor for Cillian Murphy.[15] It was nominated for Outstanding British Film at the79th British Academy Film Awards.[16]
