Steve
What’s it rated? R
When? 2025
Where’s it showing? Netflix
To say that Steve (Cillian Murphy) has a difficult job is an understatement. The young men in his care are difficult at best. They’ve been institutionalized young and all carry their own unique baggage. Steve himself battles his own demons after an accident left him with a hidden addiction.
The film follows one chaotic day, the day that Steve and the rest of the staff learn that Stanton Wood, the reform school, will be closing. That day happens to be the same day that a film crew is on-site to do a piece on the school, and their footage is used as a device to let us see intimate interviews with the boys. One of the boys, Shy (Jay Lycurgo), is in a particularly rough headspace after his mother rejects him.
This film is a hard watch. Between the chaos of the school and Steve’s opioid addiction, there’s not a scrap of hope or light to be found. Based on a novella by Max Porter named Shy, this drama highlights Murphy as the titular character in another truly impressive role. You’ll want to be in the right frame of mind for this one. It isn’t easy, but it’s profound and beautifully acted. (93 min.)
—Anna Starkey
This article appears in Oct 16 – Oct 23, 2025.