‘Steve’ (2025) Review – Cillian Murphy Plays A Teacher Who Fights For His Student In Rich Drama

There is always an exceptional teacher. One who goes to the limit, even as the world seems to be against them, no matter where they turn. Cillian Murphy is such a teacher in Steve. In a story that is both dark and illuminating, we see a teacher tirelessly advocating for his students in the face of insurmountable external and personal odds. The movie teeters at times on overt melodrama, but what holds this story on an even keel is the magnetic and magnificent performance by Murphy. 

The teacher, Steve (played by Cillian Murphy), speaks into a recorder. He speaks on his career as a teacher, his perspective on his students, and his overall musings on life. When speaking of his students at the reform school where he works, and thinking of his own daughters, he remarks to himself, “I want them to know there is something else.”  In a line that says so much, Steve is contemplating purpose and life itself. The movie explores themes such as mental health and inner fragility, making it a deeply affecting film.

Set in the mid-’90s, Steve follows a pivotal day in the life of a head teacher and his students at a last-chance reform school. Steve is striving to preserve the school’s integrity, as well as fighting for his students’ welfare, even as the school faces the threat of closure. Steve is battling his own mental health, which is crippling him internally as the stress takes a toll. From the start, we see Steve taking an interest in his students’ lives and interacting with them. One in particular, named Shy (Jay Lycurgo), is battling his own demons. He is similar to Steve, forcing him to reconcile his path forward, rather than reverting to self-destruction and violence. 

Steve is under intense pressure throughout the film. And even though the story documents a single day in the life, there is a prevailing feeling that this man has been battling internal and external battles for a long time. The character is put under pressure and demonstrates remarkable durability in the face of gut-wrenching odds. There is a valiant display of the human spirit. Murphy manages to make the seemingly unflappable teacher relatable and world-weary. 

The film’s setting, Stanton Woods, is a last-resort reform school. We see from the start that society has given up on the boys in the school. This makes the cards that Steve and his fellow teachers have been dealt all the more daunting. In an effort to showcase the school’s potential, even in the face of pending closure, Steve invites a documentary crew to film the school’s locale and students’ daily interactions. The filming goes as one might expect at a reform school, and tensions reach a boiling point.  

The inherent drama at the heart of this story is a dogged teacher fighting for his students, even as his own mental health is failing. His relationship with his student, Shy, is the tenet by which the film stands. Steve is so committed to the general welfare of all the boys and the school’s standing that he seems to miss the glaring warning signs that Shy is in a downward spiral. It offers the film’s most impactful moment.

Some may pick apart these story elements as trite. Granted, there is a familiarity to the story beats in this film, but the real saving grace that prevents melodrama from overtaking it all is the performances. Lycurgo delivers a star-in-the-making role. He is a troubled teenager, desperate for his voice to be heard, even as the world ignores him. Tracey Ullman delivers a tender performance as one of the school’s employees, who, like Steve, continues to fight the good fight. 

Ultimately, Murphy is the commanding presence in Steve. His ability to ground the melodrama in a truth that feels relatable and inspiring. He shows a man in turmoil, who wears a brave face and goes through the day thinking of others before himself. He is moving and leaves with yet another memorable and powerful performance. There is no surprise that he is an Oscar-winning actor. He commands each scene, and even when off-screen, his magnetic presence is hard to ignore. Steve is far from a reinvention of the inspirational teacher trope, but it is yet another chance to showcase why Murphy is one of the finest actors of his generation. 

Steve will debut on Netflix on October 3, 2025.