Steve (2025): Cast, Plot, Trailer, Release Date & Where to Watch Cillian Murphy’s Poignant Tale of Redemption and Resilience

Steve (2025): Cillian Murphy Returns in a Poignant Tale of Redemption and Resilience

A Riveting New Drama from Netflix

Netflix has released the official trailer for Steve, an emotionally charged drama starring Academy Award® winner Cillian Murphy. Directed by Tim Mielants (Peaky Blinders, Patrick), the film is adapted from Max Porter’s acclaimed 2023 novella Shy. Following one pivotal day at a last-chance reform school in mid-90s England, Steve promises a raw, human look at hope, redemption, and the struggles of those society often forgets.

📅 Release Date & Streaming Details

• Select Theaters: September 19, 2025

• World Premiere: Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) – September 2025 (Platform Prize section)

• Global Netflix Release: October 3, 2025

📝 Plot Preview

In the heart of England during the turbulent mid-90s, Steve (Cillian Murphy) serves as the headteacher of a school for boys with severe behavioral and societal difficulties. The film unfolds over the course of one intense, transformative day — a day where tensions flare, personal histories clash, and lives hang in the balance.

As the trailer hints, “Sometimes, you only get one day to make a difference.”Steve faces a crucial choice — guide his troubled students toward a better future or watch them slip beyond reach forever.

⭐ Cast & Characters

• Cillian Murphy as Steve — the dedicated yet conflicted headteacher.

• Jay Lycurgo as Shy — a boy whose defiance masks deep pain.

• Tracey Ullman — in a yet-undisclosed role.

• Simbi Ajikawo (Little Simz) — bringing intensity and authenticity to the ensemble.

• Emily Watson — adding her signature emotional depth.

🎥 Behind the Scenes

Directed by Tim Mielants and written by Max Porter, Steve is produced by Murphy himself alongside Alan Moloney under Big Things Films. The cinematography, led by Robrecht Heyvaert, uses a muted yet intimate visual palette to reflect the emotional gravity of the story. Editing by Danielle Palmer promises a tight, real-time pacing that mirrors the ticking-clock tension of the film’s single-day narrative.

📊 Early Buzz & Awards Potential

Premiering in TIFF’s prestigious Platform Prize category, Steve is already generating awards-season buzz for its emotional impact and Cillian Murphy’s transformative performance. Critics have praised the trailer’s combination of grit and tenderness, with some calling it “Murphy’s most vulnerable role since The Wind That Shakes the Barley.”

🔮 Themes & Expectations

Beneath its schoolyard setting, Steve explores themes of second chances, the scars of the past, and the fragile nature of hope. If Max Porter’s source material is any indication, audiences can expect lyrical dialogue, morally complex characters, and moments of unexpected humor amidst the heaviness.

📌 Final Thoughts

With its powerhouse cast, intimate storytelling, and Netflix’s global reach, Steve has the potential to be one of 2025’s most talked-about dramas. As Steve himself reflects in the trailer, “Sometimes you don’t fix the world — you just fix one person’s day.”

When Steve arrives on Netflix this October, it won’t just be a film — it’ll be a quiet storm of empathy, grit, and the enduring fight for redemption.