REVIEW: Cillian Murphy excels as a beleaguered headmaster in ‘Steve’

Article content

“Steve” is a nervous breakdown disguised as a movie, and while it’s almost exactly the opposite of enjoyable, it continues the impressive collaboration of star Cillian Murphy and Belgian director Tim Mielants after numerous episodes of “Peaky Blinders” and the stark 2024 drama “Small Things Like These.” Murphy continues to spend his “Oppenheimer” credit in smart and creative ways, and this drama set at a residential reform school for delinquent teenage boys offers ferocious performances and a big, beating heart. (Opening in theatres Friday, the film will stream on Netflix starting Oct. 3.)

The star (who also produced) plays the title character, the head teacher at Stanton Wood and a deeply troubled man. Adapted by Max Porter from his 2023 novel “Shy,” “Steve” takes place over the course of one harrowing day and night in 1996, as a local television crew comes to film the school for a feature segment and Steve receives some bad news from his board of trustees. An experimental program meant to teach and rehabilitate the worst juvenile offenders, Stanton Wood is as idealistic as its students are angry and aggressive; the school’s chronically underfunded staff are stuck in the middle and rapidly nearing burnout.

We quickly see that Steve is one of those ordinary heroes who accomplish miracles on a day-to-day to basis and who is adored by the teachers under him – especially deputy head Amanda (Tracey Ullman) – and, although they would never admit it, by the boys themselves. We also see that he’s at the end of his rope, with a mention of a recent car accident perhaps responsible for his secret self-medicating throughout the day with pills and other crutches. Murphy uses his blue-eyed intensity to convey a good man being crushed under the combined weight of duty and guilt.

Much of “Steve” concerns his and the other teachers’ interactions with the boys in their care, all of whom are played with immediacy by a crew of young actors and newcomers: gregarious Benny (Araloyin Oshunremi), bitter Tarone (Tut Nyuot), violently impulsive Riley (Joshua J. Parker), sly hulk Jamie (Luke Ayres) and more. The film’s focus falls largely on Shy (Jay Lycurgo, TV’s “Titans”), the smartest and most sensitive of the group and given to sudden bursts of frustrated rage. Early in the film, Shy learns his family has cut him loose, and his gradual spiraling through the rest of the day is explicitly linked to Steve’s suffering, two men falling apart side by side without ever seeing each other.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

Emily Watson is patient and thick-skinned as the school’s beleaguered psychiatrist, and Simbiatu Ajikawo makes a sympathetic impression as the newest teacher, Shola, whose strength is tested in a frightening cafeteria fight between Riley and Jamie, captured by DP Robrecht Heyvaert with handheld camerawork that feels like a combatant itself. Much of “Steve” unfolds in long takes that prowl the halls and classrooms with edgy apprehension, knowing that a brawl can and will break out at any moment.

There are moments of comedy in the film, especially when the school is visited by a pompous member of parliament (Roger Allam) who is quickly set straight by the boys. Mostly, however, “Steve” is weary with a great sadness, because the teachers see a gentleness in their charges that no one else wants to see, including the state. It’s to the credit of the filmmakers and the cast that we see it, too.

Things get a little wiggy late in the movie, with some surreal camerawork whose meaning is unclear and a climactic collapse of two of the characters in parallel, followed by a partial resolution meant to show the unity of the boys and their teachers against a world that will always be pitted against them. Still, “Steve” is honest enough to stay away from happy Hollywood endings, and the final scenes offer both an unexpected twist and a deep and lasting sigh for the people among us for whom the burden becomes too great.

The film ends with a plea for viewers suffering from depression and other mental health issues to reach out for help. “Steve” is a deeply compassionate drama of why they should.

– – –

Three stars. Rated R. Available Oct. 3 on Netflix. Contains pervasive language, substance abuse and some sexual material. 93 minutes.

Rating guide: Four stars masterpiece, three stars very good, two stars OK, one star poor, no stars waste of time.

– – –

Ty Burr is the author of the movie recommendation newsletter Ty Burr’s Watch List at tyburrswatchlist.com.