Cillian Murphy’s 'Steve' Hits Theaters, Now on Netflix

Cillian Murphy stars in and produces Steve, an adaptation of Max Porter’s novella Shy, playing a beleaguered headteacher struggling with mental health while trying to save a reform school. The film, which reunites Murphy with longtime collaborators and co-stars Jay Lycurgo and Tracey Ullman, premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. It opened in cinemas on September 19, 2025, and began streaming on Netflix on October 3, 2025. Critics gave the film strong reviews, with many singling out Murphy’s performance. Murphy says he has deliberately favored smaller, character-driven projects as the result of a decades-long evolution of taste rather than as a reaction to awards success. His earlier film Small Things Like These was released last November and earned a solid return on its modest budget.