19/08/2025 - The Netflix pic, set to premiere at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, is a reimagining of Max Porter’s Sunday Times Bestseller Shy

Jay Lycurgo (left) and Cillian Murphy in Steve (© Robert Viglasky/Netflix)

Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer [+see also:
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Set in mid-1990s England, the drama unfolds over the course of a single, decisive day at a last-chance reform school. Murphy plays Steve, a dedicated yet troubled headteacher confronting the imminent closure of the institution. As he fights to preserve its integrity and safeguard the futures of his students, he must also contend with his own fragile mental state. Running in parallel is the story of Shy (Jay Lycurgo, known for productions such as Half Bad: The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself and I May Destroy You [+see also:
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The ensemble cast features Tracey Ullman (Mrs. America, The Tracey Ullman Show), Simbi Ajikawo (Top Boy) and Emily Watson (Breaking the Waves, Small Things Like These), bringing further depth to a narrative rooted in compassion, resilience and the enduring impact of mentorship.

Principal photography began on 24 May 2024 and wrapped on 5 July in the UK. Produced for Netflix by Alan Moloney, Cillian Murphy and Tina Pawlik, for Dublin-based outfit Big Things Films, Steve benefits from the creative oversight of Max Porter as executive producer. The original score was composed by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow. Other key creatives include editor Danielle Palmer and DoP Robrecht Heyvaert.

The pic will enjoy a limited theatrical release in the USA, the UK and Ireland this autumn before making its festival bow at the Toronto International Film Festival (4-14 September). The global streaming launch is set for 3 October on Netflix.