Cillian Murphy Takes on a Troubled Classroom in New Trailer Netflix’s STEVE
Netflix has released the final trailer for Steve, a new drama starring Cillian Murphy as a headteacher trying to save his school and his own sanity.
Based on Max Porter’s acclaimed novel Shy, the story takes place in the mid-90s and follows Steve, a headteacher at a reform school for troubled kids. He’s desperately fighting to keep the institution alive while struggling with his mental health.
Running parallel to his journey is Shy, played by Jay Lycurgo, a student torn between violence and vulnerability as he tries to navigate the wreckage of his past and the uncertainty of his future.
The official synopsis reads: “Set in the mid-90s, Steve is a reimagining of Max Porter's bestseller Shy. The film follows a pivotal day in the life of headteacher Steve (Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy) and his students at a last-chance reform school amidst a world that has forsaken them.
“As Steve fights to protect the school’s integrity and impending closure, we witness him grappling with his own mental health.
“In parallel to Steve’s struggles, we meet Shy (Jay Lycurgo), a troubled teen caught between his past and what lies ahead as he tries to reconcile his inner fragility with his impulse for self-destruction and violence.”
Alongside Murphy and Lycurgo, the film’s cast includes Tracey Ullman, Simbi Ajikawo, Emily Watson, Douggie McMeekin, Youssef Kerkour, Luke Ayres, Joshua J Parker, Araloyin Oshunremi, Tut Nyuot, Tom Moya, Ahmed Ismail, and Joshua Barry.
Directed by Belgian filmmaker Tim Mielants, who previously worked with Murphy on Small Things Like These, and is also known for his work on films like Patrick and episodes of Legion, Tales from the Loop, and The Responder.
He Porter’s intimate and haunting narrative to life on screen. Porter himself adapted the screenplay from his novel, ensuring the adaptation captures the same emotional intensity of the source material.
The trailer paints Steve as both raw and compassionate, with Murphy delivering a layered performance that balances authority, empathy, and inner turmoil. It’s a story about guilt, rage, and boyhood, but also about learning that even in the darkest moments, you’re not alone.
Steve is now available to stream worldwide on Netflix.