Steve release date, cast and characters, where to watch, and more

Steve, the long-awaited drama movie starring Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, will come out in some theaters on September 19, 2025, after its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie will be available on Netflix on October 3, 2025.

Steve is the story of a headteacher in the mid-1990s who is having trouble keeping his reform school open. The movie takes place over the course of one important day, when the school might close, and both students and teachers have to deal with their demons.

The official synopsis of the movie reads:

"Follows headteacher Steve battling for his reform college's survival while managing his mental health. Concurrently, troubled student Shy navigates his violent tendencies and fragility, torn between his past and future prospects."

Steve premieres on September 19, 2025

Steve will premiere in select cinemas on September 19, 2025. It will be available for streaming globally on Netflix from October 3, 2025.

In the US, Netflix has subscription plans that range from $7.99 to $24.99 a month. The Standard with ads plan is the cheapest choice at $7.99. The Standard plan costs $17.99 a month and lets fans watch without ads.

The Premium plan costs $24.99 a month and offers viewers to stream in ultra HD and use more devices at the same time.

Steve (2025): Plot analysis

Steve is about a day in the life of headteacher Steve, played by Cillian Murphy, at a last-chance reform school for boys who are having problems.

The story takes place in the mid-1990s, when the education system is under a lot of stress and schools like Steve's are about to fall apart.

Steve is worried that the school might close on this important day. A documentary crew comes to film his students, many of whom are struggling with violence, weakness, and a lack of hope.

This puts them in the spotlight. The invasion conveys the boys' raw lives; it additionally reveals Steve's own problems with mental health, honesty, and being a leader.

Shy is one of the most important people among the students. Teenagers are torn between destructive urges and a desperate need to belong, and Shy is a perfect example of this.

His journey is like Steve's fight to keep everything together, which makes their relationship the most important part of the story. Over the course of the day, arguments happen, feelings get out of hand, and dark humor breaks up the seriousness.

Steve is not only about a reform school because it has many layers. It's a reflection of bigger problems in society, like abuse, neglect, and the search for identity.

The show's mix of drama and biting commentary makes viewers think about their own place in a world that leaves its weakest people behind all too often.

Cast of Steve

The cast of Steve is led by Cillian Murphy as the headteacher Steve. Tracey Ullman joins him in a powerful, dramatic role as Amanda, Jay Lycurgo as the troubled teen Shy, Simbi Ajikawo (Little Simz) as Shola, and the acclaimed Emily Watson. 

What’s in the trailer?

The trailer for Steve holds the chaotic spirit of the film. At the start, the boys were asked to describe themselves in three words. The answers, which included "very, very tired," "cheeky," and even "sexy little bastard," were both funny and honest.

These incidents quickly become serious, revealing the students' troubled state.

The trailer is mostly made up of fights between Steve and the boys. Phrases like "Steve, you d*ck" and "You don't know me!" in the trailer show how tense things are between the rebellious teens, while Murphy's Steve tries to help them by saying, "All I want for you is to just talk to us. 'Cause you're not alone, Shy."

There is shouting, fire alarms, and repeated cries of "Fire! Fire! Steve!" as the trailer builds up to a climax of chaos. It ends with the haunting words, "You're not alone, Shy." That's the whole point.

Steve will be available to watch on Netflix.