---
title: "Steve Jobs"
year: 2015
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/steve-jobs"
fi1m_score: 80
critics_score: 74
critics_reviews: 24
published: "2026-09-17T08:10:47.870565+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-17T08:10:48.257887+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Steve Jobs (2015)

Directed by Danny Boyle · 2h 03m · MPA R · Drama, History

**Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 74 from 24 reviews

*In a sentence:* Being in a room with Steve Jobs looks exhausting, even when someone else is doing the talking

> Danny Boyle makes a gripping backstage drama from Steve Jobs’s difficult relationships, with Michael Fassbender giving the arguments bite. The repeated confrontations sometimes look scheduled by the screenwriter, but the performances keep them worth hearing.

## Synopsis

Backstage before a product launch, Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) is preparing to present his work to the public. His private relationships keep interrupting. Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet) and Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen) are among the people trying to make themselves heard, while Jobs’s relationship with his daughter brings family disputes into the preparations. Jobs wants to control what happens before he faces his audience, but the conversations will not stay on his terms. The launch preparations become a series of personal confrontations, with colleagues and family pressing their claims on a man accustomed to taking charge.

## Review

*Steve Jobs* is a gripping piece of dramatised biography, provided we accept that its confrontations have been arranged for maximum friction. Aaron Sorkin builds the screenplay around the private disputes preceding three product launches, giving Danny Boyle a succession of people who need something from the same difficult man. The structure leaves little room for the dutiful life-story procession that can make this genre such hard work. It also creates a useful deadline: whatever remains unsettled, there is a public presentation to prepare for.

Michael Fassbender plays Steve Jobs with an impatience that makes listening seem like an imposition. He gives the man’s certainty enough force to explain why people persist in arguing with him, even when agreement looks unlikely. A less controlled performance might have made the bullying monotonous; here we can follow how Jobs adjusts his pressure according to the resistance. The film is sometimes so pleased to watch him dominate a scene that it pays too little attention to whoever is losing the argument.

Kate Winslet, as Joanna Hoffman, provides the necessary resistance, making her exchanges with him feel as though she has had to handle this behaviour before. She conveys the effort involved in staying useful to somebody who can make disagreement so punishing. Seth Rogen’s Steve Wozniak also helps by seeming unimpressed with the performance of authority, however forcefully Jobs delivers it. These actors give the grievances enough weight that we do not simply forget them whenever the central man finds a clever answer.

Danny Boyle gives all this talk sufficient movement without treating it as a problem to be solved by decoration. Cinematographer Alwin H. Küchler keeps our attention on the people arguing within the backstage bustle, while production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas makes the surroundings feel organised around the coming presentation. We remain aware of the public occasion pressing on the private exchanges. The result is brisk, sometimes almost too brisk: there is little opportunity to sit with a remark before somebody answers it.

Editor Elliot Graham gives the exchanges a clean rhythm, allowing a rebuttal to register before the next accusation arrives. We were exhilarated by the backstage arguments. The speed of the replies is the reason: somebody can appear to have settled a point and immediately find themselves having to defend it again. Daniel Pemberton’s score adds further urgency, though the film scarcely needs encouragement to hurry. Its insistence occasionally feels surplus to the actors’ efforts.

The problem is repetition. Sorkin’s returns to the same pre-launch pressures are initially a pleasure, because we can anticipate another round of difficult conversations, but the appointments eventually become too convenient. Characters seem to have waited for the screenplay to summon them before saying what needs saying. There is also a softness in the treatment of Jobs that sits awkwardly beside the enthusiasm for his cruel remarks: the film wants us to recognise the harm without becoming too reluctant to forgive it.

Biographical dramas often make achievement an excuse to give their subjects the benefit of the doubt, and this one does not entirely escape that habit. Its considerable advantage is that the actors let us hear how wearing such a person might be to everybody else. They make the objections to Jobs worth listening to, even when the screenplay seems impatient to settle them. It is a good choice for company that can enjoy an argument without needing to like the person who wins it.

*Fi1m score 80, published 17 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Steve Jobs, with praise centred on Michael Fassbender’s performance and Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue. Fassbender’s ability to convey intelligence, charisma and cruelty earns approval even from several detractors, while Kate Winslet and the supporting cast also draw praise. The three-act structure, set backstage before product launches, is widely admired for turning an unconventional biography into concentrated personal drama. Danny Boyle’s direction is generally credited with keeping the verbal confrontations energetic and engaging.

The spread is nevertheless wide, with disagreement over whether those repeated confrontations deepen the portrait or make it feel contrived. Several reviews find the dialogue overbearing and the treatment of Jobs too admiring, while others see a persuasive account of his flaws. Little White Lies argues that the schematic screenplay restricts nuance; Film Comment finds a conventional, hollow film beneath the unusual structure. Even some favourable reviews flag sentimentality as a weakness.

### Reviews we read (24)

- **Empire**, Ian Nathan (90/100, inferred): The backstage drama across three launches is operatic, articulate and thrilling thanks to Sorkin's virtuoso dialogue and Fassbender's mesmerizing central performance; Boyle directs with maturity and focus, making it entertaining and relevant like a tech-world Citizen Kane. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/steve-jobs-review/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the commanding performance by Michael Fassbender and Aaron Sorkin’s scorching script as Danny Boyle delivers an exhilarating portrait of the visionary tech mastermind. The film is an intimate and theatrically ingenious piece focused on three private crises before product launches. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/12/steve-jobs-review-apple-co-founder-danny-boyle-michael-fassbender-aaron-sorkin)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Danny Boyle’s electric direction and Aaron Sorkin’s theatrical three-act structure as a high-energy study of Jobs’ ambition and relationships. Fassbender’s performance is singled out for capturing the character’s brilliance, force, and emotional distance. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/steve-jobs-telluride-review-820561/)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (90/100, inferred): The film is a formally audacious and intellectually energized entertainment that challenges Hollywood storytelling conventions while offering a rich document of its times. It burnishes the image of its visionary subject even as it examines the machinery behind his persona, with standout performances from Michael Fassbender and others. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/09/movies/review-steve-jobs-apples-visionary-ceo-dissected.html)
- **Variety** (85/100, inferred): An enthralling performance by Michael Fassbender fuels this brilliant, infuriating and richly unconventional take on the life of an American visionary. It is a bravura backstage farce and wildly creative fantasia in three acts that insists Jobs' gift for innovation was inextricable from his capacity for cruelty. [Read](https://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/steve-jobs-review-michael-fassbender-telluride-film-festival-1201586996/)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (80/100, inferred): The unusual melodrama takes liberties with facts but captures the spirit of Jobs through excellent performances, especially Fassbender's possessed turn and Winslet's steady supporting role; the witty dialogue and thematic connections make it engaging despite its stagey structure. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/steve-jobs-film-review-jobs-made-to-look-mac-ulate-a3113931.html)
- **Radio Times**, Stephen Carty (4/5): The critic calls it an enjoyable, atypical biopic with compelling Fassbender performance and witty Sorkin dialogue, though notes some contrived elements in the repeated confrontations. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-56ruff/steve-jobs/)
- **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): The critic hails it as a triumph in screenwriting, direction and ensemble acting led by Fassbender and Winslet, a propulsive biopic that is a dispiriting study of capitalistic self-aggrandisement yet set for awards attention. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/steve-jobs-review/5095020.article)
- **Time Out**, David Ehrlich (4/5): The critic praises the sharp, savage Sorkin script and Fassbender's blistering performance as a megalomaniac genius, but notes the film suffers from split personality and ends with Boyle's sentimental impulses. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/steve-jobs)
- **Financial Times**, Nigel Andrews (70/100, inferred): Michael Fassbender is a spooky, unnerving presence as the Apple founder in Danny Boyle’s film. The three-act structure backstage at product launches makes for a claustrophobic yet powerful exercise in character pathology, with the director and writer opening up the anatomy of a genius. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/e932ea24-700f-11e5-9b9e-690fdae72044)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (70/100, inferred): The movie structures its story around three product launches and delivers a standard dichotomy of Jobs as both monster and genius, though it ultimately suggests something heroic about his flaws. Fassbender's meticulous performance anchors this portrait, which feels strangely old-fashioned in its romantic insistence on the hero despite the modern setting. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/10/19/wonder-boys)
- **Little White Lies**, Ashley Clark (4/3/2): The critic finds the film bogged down in self-satisfied Sorkinese dialogue and repetitive structure, robbing it of nuance and character depth. Boyle's visual style and the strong cast are noted but ultimately overwhelmed by the schematic screenplay. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/steve-jobs)
- **Slant Magazine**, Steve Macfarlane (2/4): The critic finds the film ultimately hagiographic despite its ambitious three-act structure and strong performances. Sorkin’s verbose dialogue and the focus on Jobs’ redemption are highlighted as weaknesses. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/steve-jobs/)
- **The Independent** (Recommended): The unconventional biopic structured around three product launches starts dynamically with witty Sorkin dialogue and strong performances but loses steam in the final section by portraying Jobs increasingly as a messiah figure, turning the daughter relationship melodramatic. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/steve-jobs-film-review-danny-boyle-captures-the-apple-gurus-showmanship-but-the-film-runs-out-of-steam-a6699011.html)
- **Film Comment**, Michael Sragow (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the film conventional and hollow despite its unconventional structure, describing it as a victory lap that fails to deliver irony or vision. Fassbender's performance is praised as impressive, but the overall approach is seen as too accessible and stage-bound. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/steve-jobs-michael-fassbender-aaron-sorkin-danny-boyle-review/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a smart, complex anti-biopic that gets to the essence of its subject through a three-act structure focused on product launches. Sorkin’s dazzling script and Boyle’s direction are singled out for praise, along with Fassbender’s intelligent, never-faltering lead performance. [Read](https://deadline.com/2015/10/steve-jobs-review-michael-fassbender-aaron-sorkin-seth-rogen-1201572524/)
- **Den of Geek**, David Crow (4.5/5): The film demonizes and flatters Jobs to tremendous effect through its three-act structure focused on product launches. Fassbender delivers a tour de force performance that embodies Jobs' essence and charisma despite physical differences. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/steve-jobs-review/)
- **Digital Spy**, Emma Dibdin (85/100, inferred): Boyle and Sorkin deliver a skilful character study closer to Shakespearean melodrama than a traditional biopic, with Fassbender giving a savagely compelling performance. The operatic, full-blooded direction and sharp human drama probe the divide between persona and person effectively. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a671835/steve-jobs-review-michael-fassbender-is-savagely-compelling/)
- **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (85/100, inferred): The film is a quick-footed character study and dazzling showcase of Aaron Sorkin's dialogue, structured around three product launches that highlight the high cost of genius and themes of fatherhood. It praises the energetic performances, especially Michael Fassbender's portrayal of Jobs, and Danny Boyle's restrained direction that lets the script shine. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-danny-boyles-aaron-sorkin-penned-steve-jobs-starring-michael-fassbender-is-a-rush-of-blood-to-the-head-20151005/)
- **NME**, Nick Levine (80/100, inferred): Though it may not stick rigidly to the facts, the film is a riveting, slick and smart high-class entertainment with a terrific Fassbender performance capturing Jobs' charisma and cruelty. The three-act structure behind product launches succeeds as engaging character study. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-various-artists-16334-308957)
- **The Skinny**, Ben Nicholson (4/5): A breakneck Sorkin script and Fassbender's subtle, confident performance result in a meticulously constructed character study of vision and faults. The three-act structure chronicles fictionalised pre-launch moments, delivering a nuanced portrait beyond simple character assassination. [Read](http://www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/uk-festivals/film/london-film-festival-steve-jobs)
- **/Film**, Angie Han (75/100, inferred): The film excels at revealing the flawed, human Steve Jobs behind the icon through intimate backstage conversations at three launches, with strong performances from the cast led by Michael Fassbender. It singles out the rhythmic dialogue and theatricality for praise but notes the third act feels rushed and overly resolved. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/540304/steve-jobs-review/)
- **The Wrap** (50/100, inferred): The film is seen as an incomplete portrait that leaves blanks unfilled despite its unconventional three-launch structure and strong cast. Fassbender is praised for evoking Jobs’ intelligence and cruelty, keeping viewers engaged even as the overall mosaic feels unfinished. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/steve-jobs-review-michael-fassbender-kate-winslet-aaron-sorkin/)
- **Polygon**, Allegra Frank (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the film forced and unbalanced overall. Its script is strong but the film fails to reveal the elusive Apple founder, with Boyle's direction often distracting from the dialogue and melodramatic elements undermining the three-act structure. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/2015/10/5/9454191/steve-jobs-movie-review-aaron-sorkin-michael-fassbender/)

## Details

- **Director:** Danny Boyle
- **Director:** Danny Boyle
- **Screenplay:** Aaron Sorkin
- **Cinematography:** Alwin H. Küchler
- **Editor:** Elliot Graham
- **Music:** Daniel Pemberton
- **Production design:** Guy Hendrix Dyas
- **Costume design:** Suttirat Anne Larlarb
- **Producer:** Scott Rudin, Danny Boyle, Guymon Casady
- **Cast:** Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs; Kate Winslet as Joanna Hoffman; Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak; Jeff Daniels as John Sculley; Michael Stuhlbarg as Andy Hertzfeld; Katherine Waterston as Chrisann Brennan; Perla Haney-Jardine as Lisa Brennan (19); Ripley Sobo as Lisa Brennan (9)
- **Runtime:** 2h 03m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 23 October 2015
- **Genres:** Drama, History
- **Budget:** $30 million
- **Box office:** $34 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XEh7arNSms

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-17.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2016: Best Actor (nominated); Best Supporting Actress (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *The Social Network* (2010), Fi1m 91: The rapid arguments are similarly entertaining, and the damaged friendships matter. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-social-network.md)
- *Sweet Smell of Success* (1957): Another commanding bully, with dialogue sharp enough to make his company dangerously enjoyable.
- *High and Low* (1963), Fi1m 90: Corporate authority meets personal responsibility in a drama that makes both painfully concrete. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/high-and-low.md)
- *The Class* (2008): Verbal authority is tested constantly, with a classroom replacing the backstage corridor.
- *The Death of Stalin* (2017), Fi1m 83: Professional ambition and personal terror produce a colder, nastier kind of workplace comedy. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-death-of-stalin.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/steve-jobs