Netflix rolled out the red carpet at Curzon Mayfair on Tuesday night for the UK premiere of Steve, the tense, emotionally charged drama starring Oscar winner Cillian Murphy. Following its acclaimed debut at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month, the London screening brought the film home in style, complete with its stars, creative team, and a crowd buzzing with anticipation.
A Teacher on the Edge
Directed by Tim Mielants (The Responder, Small Things Like These), Steve is a re-imagining of Max Porter’s 2023 novel Shy. Set in the mid-1990s, it follows a single day in the life of a reform-school headteacher, Steve, played by Murphy, as he struggles to keep both his institution and his own mental health from unravelling.
Murphy delivers a quietly devastating performance as a man battling exhaustion, self-doubt, and addiction while trying to protect the boys in his care from a system that has already failed them. His co-star Jay Lycurgo (Top Boy, Titans) plays Shy, a troubled teen wrestling with anger and fragility, while Little Simz, Emily Watson, and Tracey Ullman round out the ensemble as the teachers, inspectors, and carers shaping this fractured community.
Mielants’ direction transforms the small-scale premise into something deeply cinematic — all shadowed corridors, grey light, and emotional claustrophobia. The film unfolds as a slow burn of compassion and control, where every silence feels loaded and every glance carries history.
Murphy’s Most Personal Role Yet
Speaking at the premiere, Murphy described the project as “incredibly close to my heart.” Both of his parents and his grandfather were teachers, a fact that shaped his understanding of the profession long before stepping into the role.
“[My parents] would sit in front of, like, 35 teenagers every day, and then they came home and looked after their own teenagers… It takes a lot out of teachers emotionally, so I have a huge respect for that job,” Murphy said.
Produced under Murphy’s own banner, Big Things Films, in collaboration with longtime partner Alan Moloney and Netflix, Steve marks the company’s second feature after Small Things Like These. Murphy also serves as producer, continuing his recent shift into creative leadership roles both on and off camera.
Stars and Style at Curzon Mayfair
Murphy hit the carpet in a charcoal suit and open-collar shirt, greeted by an enthusiastic crowd outside the Curzon. He was joined by Tracey Ullman, Little Simz, Jay Lycurgo, Emily Watson, and director Tim Mielants, all celebrating what felt like a homecoming for the Irish actor after Steve’s European premiere in Cork earlier this week.
CultureCues Standout Moment: Unscripted Brilliance
One of the film’s most powerful moments comes in a late scene between Steve and Amanda, played with raw conviction by Tracey Ullman. As Amanda urges him to say the words “It’s not your fault,” the tension breaks as years of guilt and exhaustion spill out in silence and pain. Murphy later revealed the exchange was largely improvised, a spontaneous moment between him and Ullman that left everyone on set with goosebumps. It shows. The honesty in that scene cuts right through the film’s quiet restraint, laying bare the emotional heart of Steve: the impossible weight of care in a system built to break you.
Critical Reaction and Release
Following its festival debut, Steve holds a 78% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes and has been praised as “one of Murphy’s most uninhibited and demonstrative performances” (The Guardian) and “a profoundly moving, superbly acted diamond in the rough” (Variety). Rolling Stone UK called it “darkly funny, thought-provoking, and as nail-biting as you might expect.”
What’s Next?
Steve opens in select UK cinemas on September 19, followed by a global Netflix release on October 3, 2025. Produced by Big Things Films, with Netflix handling worldwide distribution, the film’s autumn rollout hints at a major awards-season push. And based on early buzz, Murphy’s performance could easily be in the running.
Until then, audiences can only brace themselves. Steve isn’t just another prestige drama; it’s an unflinching look at compassion, control, and the quiet heroism of those who show up, day after day, when the world looks away.