'Oppenheimer' Star Cillian Murphy Tackles Exhausted Teacher Role in 'Steve'

In the Netflix drama 'Steve', which premiered on October 3rd, 2025, acclaimed actor Cillian Murphy takes on the role of a deeply empathetic but endlessly embattled head teacher at a struggling reform school for boys with behavioral difficulties. The film, directed by Tim Mielants, is loosely based on Max Porter's acclaimed novella 'Shy' and marks the third collaboration between Murphy and the author.

While the original story was told from the perspective of one of the students, Porter's screenplay for 'Steve' shifts the focus to the school's head teacher, a character who was only briefly mentioned in the novel. For Murphy, whose own parents were both teachers, the film serves as a "love letter to the profession" and an exploration of the challenges faced by those tasked with guiding the next generation.

To capture the exhaustion and emotional toll of the role, Murphy drew inspiration from the techniques of acclaimed director Ken Loach, whom he had previously worked with on the 2006 Irish war drama 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley'. This included shooting the film in sequence to maintain the character's emotional journey and keeping the supporting cast separate from Murphy to create a sense of realism in their on-screen interactions.

The result is a gritty, immersive portrayal of a teacher struggling to keep his school afloat amidst dwindling resources and the personal demons of addiction. Murphy's performance has already garnered critical acclaim, with many drawing comparisons to his Oscar-winning turn as J. Robert Oppenheimer in last year's 'Oppenheimer'.