---
title: "Steve"
year: 2025
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/steve"
fi1m_id: "steve"
imdb_id: "tt32985279"
tmdb_id: 1242404
wikidata_id: "Q124608269"
fi1m_score: 68
critics_score: 70
critics_reviews: 17
published: "2026-10-03T04:09:33.246226+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-03T04:09:33.752031+00:00"
region: "PT"
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 (2025)

Directed by Tim Mielants · 1h 32m · IGAC M/16 · Drama

## Identity

Steve

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/steve
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** steve
- **IMDb ID:** tt32985279
- **TMDB ID:** 1242404
- **Wikidata ID:** Q124608269
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32985279/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1242404, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124608269

**Fi1m score: 68** · Critics 70 from 17 reviews

*In a sentence:* Cillian Murphy looks exhausted enough to need the evening off, and occasionally so does the film

> Cillian Murphy and Jay Lycurgo give *Steve* enough feeling to make its shortcomings frustrating. This school drama cares about its people, but its restless direction leaves too little time to know them.

## Synopsis

Steve (Cillian Murphy) is a teacher trying to keep caring for his students while personal strain and institutional neglect make the work harder. At the school, the young ensemble includes Shy (Jay Lycurgo), whose vulnerability shares the film’s attention with Steve’s. Amanda (Tracey Ullman) is among the people around them. Steve wants to remain useful to pupils who need him, but his own exhaustion increasingly competes with that responsibility. The drama follows the pressures on the adults and students, with the school’s difficulties and Steve’s personal struggles becoming hard to separate.

## Review

*Steve* is worth considering for its performances, with a substantial reservation about how hurriedly it treats the people surrounding them. Tim Mielants directs a school drama in which caring for students has become exhausting, precarious work. Max Porter’s screenplay gives that pressure a compelling human centre in Steve, played by Cillian Murphy. We believe the exhaustion more readily than we understand the school, and that limits how far the film can take us.

Cillian Murphy makes Steve’s continuing concern for his students matter even when personal strain threatens to overwhelm it. The performance allows frustration into the picture without making care seem fraudulent, or asking for applause simply because a teacher persists. Jay Lycurgo gives Shy a vulnerability that deserves the attention the film gives its adult lead. We were moved by the moments that let Steve and Shy appear vulnerable; for once, the film gives us enough space to worry about someone rather than merely register the pressure on them.

The younger performers also bring humour and an ease with one another that help the school feel inhabited. Their company is welcome because a film this concerned with distress needs some sense of what these people are like when they are not suffering. Tracey Ullman, as Amanda, contributes a similarly valuable warmth and nuance. Yet the supporting characters too often remain people we would like to know better, and a convincing ensemble cannot entirely compensate for the limited attention each person receives.

Robrecht Heyvaert’s cinematography makes disorientation an insistent part of the experience, successfully conveying how difficult it is to find a moment’s peace. The aerial views are less persuasive: they enlarge the presentation without deepening our understanding of the people below. Danielle Palmer’s editing has the difficult task of accommodating this divided attention within 92 minutes, and the result feels compressed rather than economical. Neither the score by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow nor Paki Smith’s production design can supply the ordinary detail about school life that the writing leaves underexplored.

That omission matters particularly in a drama about education. We get too little sense of the actual teaching, or of how the school’s work might help these particular students. Max Porter gives us forceful emotion, but the pupils need more individual definition if the film’s concern for them is to carry its full weight. Tim Mielants keeps the distress close enough to feel, yet the restless presentation sometimes makes it harder to distinguish one person’s difficulties from another’s.

The familiar school-drama temptation is to make the institution legible through one exceptional adult, and Cillian Murphy is persuasive enough to make that approach work for stretches. But *Steve* also asks us to care about a wider group, then struggles to make room for them. Its compassion is welcome, and its actors repeatedly earn feelings that the hurried storytelling cannot sustain. Choose it for the performances, provided an underdeveloped school and several insufficiently explored lives will not outweigh them.

*Fi1m score 68, published 3 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean positive on Steve, though enthusiasm is far from uniform. Praise centres on Cillian Murphy’s strained, committed performance, with Jay Lycurgo and the young ensemble also drawing strong notices. Several critics find the drama deeply affecting and compassionate in its treatment of care under institutional pressure. The restless cinematography earns praise for conveying that strain, although even some favourable reviews find individual flourishes excessive.

The divide is over whether that intensity gives the characters depth or crowds it out. More cautious reviews describe a scattered, cluttered film whose emotional force is weakened by divided attention. The AV Club argues that the abbreviated storytelling leaves characters underdeveloped, while IndieWire objects to the lack of detail about teaching and the students’ lives. The spread is wide: admirers find the film’s urgency moving, while detractors see frantic technique trying to compensate for too little substance.

## Straight answers

**Is Steve worth watching?**

*Steve* is worth considering for Cillian Murphy and Jay Lycurgo’s performances, and we score it 68 out of 100. We are moved when the film lets its exhausted teacher and vulnerable pupil breathe, but the restless direction and underdeveloped supporting characters make this one for viewers particularly drawn to performance-led school dramas.

**How long is Steve, and what is it rated?**

*Steve* runs 1h 32m and is rated M/16 by the IGAC in Portugal. It is a drama film.

**Where can I watch Steve in Portugal?**

*Steve* is streaming on Netflix in Portugal. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Steve, and is it suitable for children?**

*Steve* carries a UK 15 certificate, so it is not suitable for children under 15. The drama centres on exhaustion, personal strain and distress among adults and pupils, making it a choice for older teenagers and adults comfortable with emotionally troubled material. We cannot establish specific levels of violence or frightening content from the certificate alone.

**How does Steve compare to Short Term 12?**

*Steve* is the more qualified recommendation beside [*Short Term 12*](https://film.one/film/short-term-12), which we recommend more warmly for its performances and humour. Both find feeling in the pressures of caring for young people, but *Steve* gives its supporting characters too little attention. *Short Term 12* allows care workers and young residents room for humour alongside distress, though its script sometimes arranges suffering too neatly.

**What should I watch after Steve?**

After *Steve*, try [*Short Term 12*](https://film.one/film/short-term-12) (2013, Fi1m 86): Care workers and young residents get room for humour alongside distress. Then [*Kes*](https://film.one/film/kes) (1969, Fi1m 88): A neglected boy receives the close attention his school struggles to provide; and [*Half Nelson*](https://film.one/film/half-nelson) (2006, Fi1m 81): Another troubled teacher, with careful attention to the limits of helping.

### Reviews we read (17)

- **The Observer**, Wendy Ide (90/100, inferred): Ide delivers a strongly positive verdict, calling the film gripping and exhausting and Murphy’s performance devastating. She especially praises the frazzled tension created by the cinematography and the standout performances from Murphy and Jay Lycurgo. [Read](https://observer.co.uk/culture/film/article/steve-is-a-nerve-shredding-portrait-of-troubled-souls)
- **Empire**, Miriam Balanescu (88/100, inferred): The critic calls the film an emotionally powerful, rallying portrayal of a broken education system. They praise its forceful emotion and disorienting cinematography, while noting that some aerial shots overreach. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/steve/)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (Critics Pick): Debruge calls the film profoundly moving and superbly acted. He praises Murphy’s committed performance alongside the convincing young ensemble. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/steve-review-cillian-murphy-1236509285/)
- **Radio Times**, Terry Staunton (80/100, inferred): The review presents the film as powerful and stylish, with Cillian Murphy in awards-worthy form. It particularly praises the drama’s responsible and intelligent approach. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/steve-review-netflix/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (80/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the drama fiercely affecting and ultimately hopeful, while noting that its ending softens some of its earlier ferocity. He praises Cillian Murphy and Jay Lycurgo’s performances, which lead an outstanding cast. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/05/steve-review-cillian-murphy-is-outstanding-in-ferocious-reform-school-drama)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney (75/100, inferred): Rooney finds the film harrowing but deeply moving, and ultimately compassionate rather than despairing. He especially praises Cillian Murphy’s riveting performance as a teacher whose care for his students persists through personal strain and institutional neglect. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/steve-review-cillian-murphy-netflix-1236367923/)
- **Screen Daily**, Nikki Baughan (70/100, inferred): Baughan’s headline signals a positive verdict, describing Cillian Murphy as impressive. The standfirst also characterizes the film as propulsive, but the review’s details are behind a paywall. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/steve-review-cillian-murphy-impresses-at-the-heart-of-netflixs-max-porter-adaptation/5208613.article)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Robert Abele (65/100, inferred): Abele finds the film sincere and energetic but too scattered to deliver its full emotional impact. He praises its vivid performances and especially its moments focused on the vulnerability of Steve and Shy. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-09-19/steve-review-cillian-murphy-jay-lycurgo-tracy-ullman-emily-watson-tim-mielants)
- **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint can be verified. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/steve-film-review-2025)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The article body is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No praise or complaint can be reliably identified. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/movies/steve-review-cillian-murphy.html)
- **Time Out** (64/100, inferred): The page identifies this as a review of the film, but its article text is unavailable. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/steve-2025)
- **The AV Club**, Jacob Oller (C+): Oller finds the film a frustratingly abbreviated, cluttered drama that leaves its characters and story underdeveloped. He praises Cillian Murphy’s magnetic performance as the weary headmaster, but says the film’s short runtime and split attention undermine it. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/steve-review)
- **IndieWire**, Richard Lawson (C-): Lawson finds the film a frustrating, hollow exercise that mistakes frantic style for meaningful realism. He faults its failure to show the school’s educational work or give its students nuance, despite Cillian Murphy’s energetic performance. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/steve-review-cillian-murphy-stars-1235149339/)
- **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (4/2/2): The review finds the film frantic and overstuffed, with too little detail to make its emotions convincing. It praises Tracey Ullman’s appealing, nuanced performance. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/steve)
- **Deadline**, Damon Wise (85/100, inferred): Wise finds the film thoughtful, affecting, and a bittersweet celebration of caring for people in their darkest moments. He praises Cillian Murphy’s immersive performance and the ensemble, especially Tracey Ullman. [Read](https://deadline.com/2025/09/steve-review-cillian-murphy-tim-mielants-british-school-drama-1236509968/)
- **Paste**, Jesse Hassenger (4.9): Hassenger finds the film unfocused and only half-successful as a character study. He praises the chemistry, charisma, and humor of the young performers, and notes that Murphy’s unusual outbursts have novelty. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/cillian-murphy/steve-cillian-murphy-netflix-movie-review)
- **The Wrap** (55/100, inferred): The review finds Steve powerful but flawed, with a premise and direction that never quite come together. It praises the performances, especially Cillian Murphy and Jay Lycurgo, and the student ensemble. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/steve-review-cillian-murphy-tim-mielants-netflix/)

## Details

- **Director:** Tim Mielants
- **Director:** Tim Mielants
- **Screenplay:** Max Porter
- **Novel:** Max Porter
- **Cinematography:** Robrecht Heyvaert
- **Editor:** Danielle Palmer
- **Music:** Ben Salisbury, Geoff Barrow
- **Production design:** Paki Smith
- **Producer:** Alan Moloney, Cillian Murphy
- **Cast:** Cillian Murphy as Steve; Tracey Ullman as Amanda; Jay Lycurgo as Shy; Little Simz as Shola; Douggie McMeekin as Andy; Youssef Kerkour as Owen; Roger Allam as Sir Hugh Montague Powell; Emily Watson as Jenny
- **Runtime:** 1h 32m
- **Certificate (IGAC):** M/16
- **Release (Portugal):** 3 October 2025
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li7buIsBwRg

## Where to watch in Portugal

- Netflix: streaming

*Checked 2026-10-03.*

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

## If you liked this

- *The Class* (2008): Classroom disagreements receive the patient attention that makes institutional pressures feel specific.
- *Short Term 12* (2013), Fi1m 86: Care workers and young residents get room for humour alongside distress. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/short-term-12.md)
- *The Teachers’ Lounge* (2023): A school becomes painfully difficult to navigate despite a teacher’s good intentions.
- *Kes* (1969), Fi1m 88: A neglected boy receives the close attention his school struggles to provide. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/kes.md)
- *Half Nelson* (2006), Fi1m 81: Another troubled teacher, with careful attention to the limits of helping. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/half-nelson.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