Netflix has officially released the trailer for Steve, a character-driven drama set to star Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy in the title role. Directed by Alex Garland, the film is based on Max Porter’s 2023 novel Shy and follows a fateful day in the life of Steve, a headteacher at a failing reform school struggling to keep the school afloat while coping with his own fractured mental state.
A School on the Brink, and a Boy in Crisis
The movie is set in a “last-chance” school for students rejected by conventional education systems. The story’s center is Shy, a severely troubled boy played by Jay Lycurgo (Generation Z, The Batman), who strains between violent impulses and a desperate quest for redemption. As Steve battles to preserve the school from closure, he develops a tenuous connection with Shy, exposing the emotional toll of leadership, trauma, and empathy.
A Familiar Crew in Front of the Camera
Steve brings Cillian Murphy together with director Tim Mielants, whom the actor worked with before on Peaky Blinders and the award-winning 2024 movie Small Things Like These. Murphy also has a creative background with writer Max Porter, where he acted in the 2019 stage production of Grief Is the Thing with Feathers as well as the 2021 short movie All of This Unreal Time.
Also Read: Steve First Look: Cillian Murphy Shines as Troubled Reform School Teacher
Supporting performances come from Tracey Ullman, Simni Ajikawo, and Emily Watson. The score is provided by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow, and Murphy is also a producer in conjunction with Alan Moloney and Tina Pawlik.
Release Date
Steve will make its debut on September 19 in limited U.S. theaters before its global release on Netflix on October 3, 2025.
