Steve (2025) - Film Review

      **Steve, 2025**

      Directed by Tim Mielants.

      Starring Cillian Murphy, Jay Lycurgo, Tracey Ullman, Emily Watson, Little Simz, Youssef Kerkour, Marcus Garvey, Douggie McMeekin, Charlie Beaven, Roger Allam, Luke Ayres, Joshua J. Parker, and Tut Nyuot.

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      The story revolves around headteacher Steve, who is fighting to keep his reform college afloat while grappling with his mental health. Simultaneously, troubled student Shy wrestles with his violent tendencies and vulnerability, caught between his past and future opportunities.

      It’s surprising to see Steve as a quick second collaboration between Cillian Murphy and Tim Mielants. While it shares themes of doing what is right and aiding troubled youth—as was depicted in last year's *Small Things Like These*—the tone and execution are vastly different. Their initial project was a subtle narrative told through nuance, whereas this film (with a screenplay by Max Porter) presents a more intense experience, with chaos unfolding at any moment in the 1996 reform college where headteacher Steve (Cillian Murphy) passionately works.

      The college is perceived in three ways: as a last-chance institution, a failing place, or a genuinely effective environment for changing young men's lives. Alongside Steve, the faculty comprises dedicated individuals who, despite receiving less focus, share his commitment. Steve constantly tries to advise the youth against getting easily provoked into fights, even as he grapples with his own inner demons, and he embodies the irony of needing to heed his own advice.

      Steve's anxieties escalate when a documentary crew arrives to illustrate the school's merit with the aim of securing funding. However, things take a turn when they discover the school has been sold and everyone must vacate by December, right in the middle of the school year.

      Despite being titled *Steve*, a significant portion of the film focuses on the students, capturing their dramatic experiences, the troubles they create (some of which are physically and sexually harmful), and reflective interviews from the documentary crew asking questions like, “What would you have told yourself six years ago?” These young men typically come from fractured families or are navigating some trauma, often finding moments of connection and support as they are assured by faculty members that they are not without hope and can be intelligent and thoughtful if they apply themselves. Although instances of this are rare, there is a poignant, albeit clichéd, beauty in Steve and the staff's perseverance for each student, even when every moment feels like an overwhelming nightmare.

      While the film feels authentic, it’s worth noting that the mockumentary style may not serve the narrative well. *Steve* often presents itself as a film with a ticking clock element without clear justification. This confusion amplifies when the third act shifts abruptly to a more conventional narrative, focusing on the tumultuous relationship between Steve and one particular student, Shy (Jay Lycurgo), who unsettles the teacher and prompts him to confront his own past. The subsequent revelations feel both familiar and unexpected, introduced so suddenly that there’s little time for the film to address them emotionally. By the end, the mockumentary aspect largely disappears, making the final act feel like a different film entirely.

      This is not to question the sincerity of those involved in *Steve*, but its execution is somewhat clumsy. The film struggles to balance its focus between Steve and the youth, ultimately falling short in its portrayal of both.

      **Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★**

      Robert Kojder