Cillian Murphy STUNS in Netflix’s Steve — Critics Say His ‘Awards-Worthy’ Role as a Broken Headteacher Will Leave You Shaken!

---

When Netflix announced that Cillian Murphy would lead a small, gritty British drama about a failing reform school, few expected the result to hit with the seismic force of Steve. Yet within hours of its first festival screenings, critics erupted with praise, hailing Murphy’s performance as “awards-worthy,” “cinematic dynamite,” and “one of his most uninhibited turns to date.”

The Irish actor, still glowing in the aftermath of his Oscar win for Oppenheimer, seems to have gone in the complete opposite direction with Steve — swapping nuclear physicists and polished prestige projects for raw, jagged, kitchen-sink realism. And, if early reviews are anything to go by, it might just be his most gut-wrenching work yet.

---

A Story That Hits Like a Punch to the Gut

Steve is adapted from Max Porter’s acclaimed novel Shy — a haunting exploration of troubled youth, systemic neglect, and the desperate figures trying to hold everything together.

Murphy plays Steve, the beleaguered head of Stanton Wood, a controversial residential reform school described by one character as “a waiting room for borstal.” It’s the last stop for teenagers who’ve been rejected everywhere else — young men haunted by trauma, violence, and rage, whose next step is often prison.

The film takes place over a blistering 24 hours. Within that tight timeframe, everything threatens to collapse: the students riot, teachers burn out, funding disappears, and Steve himself faces the unravelling of his mental health.

Alongside him stands his deputy, played by Tracey Ullman with a mix of grit and dark humour. Together, the pair attempt to guide their chaotic students — but as the night unfolds, the cracks widen.

At its centre is a deeply moving connection between Steve and Shy (Jay Lycurgo), a troubled boy oscillating between fragility and self-destruction. Their scenes together have been singled out as “shattering” and “unforgettable” by reviewers.

---

Critics Say: “Urgent, Powerful, Awards-Worthy”

The response has been nearly unanimous: Murphy has once again delivered a career-defining performance.

• Radio Times awarded four stars, calling Murphy’s turn “awards-worthy” and praising the team’s “responsible, intelligent filmmaking.”

• Empire echoed the sentiment, describing the film as “cinematic dynamite” and applauding Murphy’s ability to “convey true emotional turmoil like few others.”

• Metro declared the project an “awards-season contender” that continues to haunt long after viewing.

• Rolling Stone UK lauded the film as “darkly funny, thought-provoking, and nail-biting.”

• The Guardian went further, calling Murphy’s work here “one of his most uninhibited and demonstrative performances.”

Even the usually stern Financial Times awarded a rare five out of five, singling out the “brilliant, eloquent” Murphy and praising the entire ensemble as “superb.”

Not everyone was entirely swept away — The Times’ Kevin Maher, while impressed by Murphy’s intensity, gave the film three stars, describing it as “a tough watch, like sitting through someone else’s scream therapy.” But even in his less enthusiastic review, Maher admitted that Murphy was “mesmerising.”

---

A Glimpse Into the Chaos

Critics have noted the film’s deliberately unpolished execution. Shaky handheld camerawork, manic pacing, and scenes that feel almost improvisational create an atmosphere of chaos that mirrors the boys’ lives.

“It’s raw, jagged, even crude,” wrote The Telegraph’s Tim Robey. “But the longer you sit with it, the more truthful it feels.”

This realism, combined with Murphy’s piercingly human performance, leaves audiences both exhausted and exhilarated. Mashable’s Kristy Puchko called it “an energetic and even at times joyful film about hope and community, despite its darkness,” singling out Murphy’s “sharp blue eyes aching with responsibility and powerlessness.”

---

Behind the Camera: A Dream Team Reunion

Part of what makes Steve so potent is the creative team behind it. Directed by Tim Mielants (Peaky Blinders, Small Things Like These) and adapted by Max Porter himself, the film benefits from an unusually close collaboration between novelist and filmmaker.

Mielants, who has worked extensively with Murphy, seems to know exactly how to push the actor into uncomfortable, electric territory. Their partnership, fresh off the critical success of Small Things Like These, has now produced back-to-back triumphs.

“Murphy is the eye of the storm,” said Porter in a recent interview. “We wanted to capture not just the noise of these institutions but the quiet despair beneath it. Cillian understood that instinctively.”

---

Murphy at His Rawest

For Murphy, Steve marks a continuation of his fascination with fragile, complex men. But unlike Oppenheimer’s intellectual restraint or Tommy Shelby’s icy control, Steve is all exposed nerve endings: shouting one moment, collapsing in tears the next, clinging to his students as if saving them might save himself.

“He’s at his rawest here,” says film critic Anna Smith. “There are no slick monologues, no neat resolutions. Just a man breaking in real time.”

On set, Murphy reportedly immersed himself in the world of alternative schools, meeting with teachers and students who had lived through similar experiences. His preparation, combined with his intensity, has drawn comparisons to Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood — a performance that consumes the screen and leaves everyone else orbiting around it.

---

A Film That Confronts the System

Beyond Murphy’s acting, Steve is also being praised for tackling bigger questions: the failures of education, the lack of support for vulnerable youth, and the crushing toll on underfunded teachers.

Critics note that it never becomes preachy. Instead, it shows the human cost of systemic collapse through raw character drama.

“This isn’t just a film about one man,” wrote Radio Times’ Terry Staunton. “It’s about a system on the brink — and the people trapped inside it.”

For viewers in the UK, where debates about youth crime, school exclusions, and government cuts rage daily, Steve feels painfully timely.

---

Festival Buzz and Awards Speculation

Premiering to packed houses at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month, Steve quickly became the title everyone was talking about. Industry insiders now believe Netflix has another awards contender on its hands, hot on the heels of last year’s Maestro and All Quiet on the Western Front.

Murphy, already tipped for BAFTA and Oscar consideration, could make history as one of the few actors to win back-to-back Academy Awards. “It’s rare for lightning to strike twice so quickly,” said Variety’s awards editor. “But Murphy may have pulled it off.”

Tracey Ullman and Jay Lycurgo are also attracting supporting-actor buzz, with many calling their performances “scene-stealing.”

---

Audience Reactions: “I Couldn’t Breathe”

On social media, early audiences have echoed the critics’ intensity.

• “This film broke me. I couldn’t breathe through the last 20 minutes,” one viewer posted on X (formerly Twitter).

• “Cillian Murphy has ruined me again. Give him ALL the awards,” another wrote.

• On TikTok, clips of Murphy’s emotional breakdown scene have already racked up millions of views, with fans overlaying captions like “the acting of our generation.”

Netflix appears to have a viral hit in the making — and one that may sit in viewers’ minds long after the credits roll.

---

Why Steve Matters

In an era when glossy biopics and high-budget action dominate, Steve feels almost radical. It’s short (a tight 92 minutes), stripped-back, and unafraid of being ugly. There are no easy answers, no neat catharsis.

Instead, it leaves audiences unsettled — asking difficult questions about how society treats its most vulnerable, and whether one person’s compassion can make any difference in a crumbling system.

For Murphy, it’s the kind of challenge he thrives on. “I’ve never been interested in heroes or villains,” he said in a recent interview. “I’m interested in the grey areas — in people who are trying and failing, but still getting up the next morning. Steve is one of those men.”

---

Release Dates

• Steve opened in select UK cinemas on September 19, 2025.

• It will debut globally on Netflix October 3, 2025.

Given the early hype, it’s likely to dominate conversation throughout the autumn — not just among critics but among everyday viewers, who may find themselves both shaken and strangely uplifted by its brutal honesty.

---

VERDICT

Cillian Murphy has already cemented himself as one of the greatest actors of his generation. With Steve, he proves it once again — disappearing into a role that’s messy, heartbreaking, and unforgettable.

Whether or not the Oscars come calling again, one thing is clear: Murphy has delivered a performance for the ages.

And if you thought Oppenheimer was the peak of his career, think again. Steve is the film that will leave you sleepless, haunted, and desperate to talk about what you’ve just seen.

---

STEVE: WHAT CRITICS SAY

• Radio Times (4/5): “Awards-worthy. Responsible, intelligent filmmaking.”

• Empire (4/5): “Cinematic dynamite. True emotional turmoil.”

• Metro (4/5): “Still thinking about it after days.”

• Rolling Stone UK (4/5): “Darkly funny, thought-provoking, nail-biting.”

• The Guardian (4/5): “One of Murphy’s most uninhibited performances.”

• Financial Times (5/5): “Brilliant, eloquent, superb ensemble.”

• The Times (3/5): “Tough watch. Murphy mesmerising.”

• The Telegraph (4/5): “Raw, jagged, truthful.”

• Mashable: “Energetic, joyful amid darkness.”

• The Washington Post (3/5): “No happy endings. Unexpected, moving twist.”