With school wrapping up for another year in just a few weeks, why not make your film night topical and stick on Steve, the 2025 Netflix drama starring Cillian Murphy as a headteacher at a school for boys with behavioural difficulties.
Set in the 1990s, the narrative unfolds as a camera crew come in to document a day in the life at the school, which faces imminent closure and the abandonment of its troubled pupils.
The drama reunited Murphy with Belgian filmmaker Tim Mielants, who previously directed him in Small Things Like These, while Max Porter adapted the script from his own 2023 novella Shy.
Who’s in Steve?
Netflix
• Cillian Murphy as Damien
• Tracey Ullman as Amanda
• Jay Lycurgo as Shy
• Simbi Ajikawo as Shola
• Emily Watson as Jenny
• Roger Allam as Sir Hugh Montague Powell
• Amy Cudden as Claire
• Ruby Ashbourne-Serkis as Charlotte
• Youssef Kerkour as Owen
What did critics say about Steve?
Netflix
The film was generally praised by critics upon its release, with Rotten Tomatoes currently reporting an approval rating of 78% from 94 critic reviews. The audience score, however, is slightly lower at 66%.
“A profoundly moving and superbly acted diamond in the rough, Steve is better than anything the streamer has pushed for best picture to date”, wrote Variety, which also stated that the film is proof of “how much more [Murphy] still has to offer” as an actor.
“Making full use of Cillian Murphy’s emotional range, Steve is a rallying, railing portrayal of a broken education system,” opined Empire Magazine, while The Financial Times called it “brilliant”.
The Daily Telegraph was also full of praise in a four-star review, writing: “At a crisp 92 minutes, the film adds vital layers without belabouring its points. In form, it’s raw, jagged, even crude – choices that feel more truthful the longer you sit with them.”
Where can I watch Steve?
Netflix
Steve is currently exclusive to Netflix, having been released on the streamer in October following a brief theatrical window the previous month.
Other Cillian Murphy films to stream now
Netflix
If you fancy streaming Murphy’s other collaboration with Mielants, the aforementioned Small Things Like These, then the Ireland-set period drama is also available on Netflix.
The actor’s villainous turn as The Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins is also available on the same service, or you can watch it via HBO Max (and NOW with the right subscription). He pops up for cameos in both sequels, available in the same places.
Keeping with the theme of Murphy working with great directors, Danny Boyle’s Sunshine can be streamed on Disney+ and Prime Video (although it looks like it’s leaving the latter soon).
Steve can be streamed on Netflix now.
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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he’s covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I’m a Fish.