Steve (2025) review - An anxiety ridden ride through a chaotic reform school

Since it seems as though Netflix is determined to let their new gritty original film, Steve, fall into obscurity, I will take it upon myself to fly the flag for what was one of the most emotional first watches I have had all year.

It seems ludicrous that I have to say this about a film starring Oscar-winning Cillian Murphy as the titular character Steve, the good-hearted head teacher of the school who is dealing with his own addictions and demons.

Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, considering just last year the film Small Things Like These also fell into obscurity. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see Murphy in the big blockbusters as much as the next person, but seeing him in these much smaller, but important, movies and still putting in masterful performances is great to watch.

Set under the run-down roof of a reform school, Steve follows the school over a tumultuous 24-hour period. Teachers are pushed to the edge, the lads are at each other’s throats, and the staff are informed that the school has been sold. All while being filmed by a documentary crew. Hardly an ideal day in a place which is already on the brink.

If this seems like a lot to keep up with, you’d be right. It’s a suffocating 92 minutes, which leaves you exhausted just watching it. It’s a similar feeling to when you watch the Safdie brothers’ high-stress crime thriller Uncut Gems. It’s chaos, it’s anxiety ridden, yet that never overpowers the story and only enhances it. It wouldn’t make sense to have such a story not feel one hundred miles per hour.

Where the heart of this film lies is when we do get those brief moments of quiet. When we get to see a glimpse of why these troubled lads act the way they do, and their regrets which led them to this moment. These moments are expertly woven into the story by director Tim Mielants.

I’m not going to sit here and say the things these lads have done in the film are not horrible. Inexcusable even. But what I appreciate is that instead of villainising these lads, they provide the context as to why they may be doing the wrong things.

Mielants shines a light on the mishandling and disrespect we show youth who are troubled. Similar to last year’s Sing Sing, a story about prisoners’ rehabilitation through the arts, this expertly portrays why giving these lads a chance and having the right support is the only way you can help them.

It’s a mighty responsibility, and we as the audience feel that. You feel the crushing weight on this under-staffed, under-trained and underpaid teaching staff’s shoulders.

It goes without saying that these heavy themes would not work without a fantastic ensemble.

Each performance, no matter how loud or boisterous, is layered with such a heartbreaking hint of sadness. You can’t help but feel for everyone and root for them to succeed in turning these boys around.

A personal favourite is Luke Ayres’ portrayal as Jamie. He is absolutely fantastic. Though the most props have to go to Jay Lycurgo as the timid and struggling Shy. His absolute powerhouse of a performance is devastating. There were several times he nearly moved me to tears.

This is happening in films more often recently. Maybe I’m getting soft.

Steve will hit you like a ton of bricks. It’s such a raw story, which may not be a true one - it’s loosely based on Max Porter’s 2023 novel Shy -but it being so rooted in reality makes it feel like it is.

I implore you not to let this film be just another obstacle in your endless doomscroll of the Netflix homepage when trying to find something to watch, and give it a chance.

If nothing else, you get to watch an MP be called a cunt. Which is always fun.