STEVE

UK/Ireland, 2025, 93 minutes, Colour.

Cillian Murphy, Tracy Ullman, Jay Lycurgo, Luke Ayers, Joshua Barry, Joshua J.Parker, Ruby Ashbourne Serkis.

Directed by Tim Mielants.

Irish actor, Cillian Murphy, has had a significant career, Irish films, the Dark Knight trilogy, to his Oscar-winning in Oppenheimer. Since then he has made two small films, very serious, well worth seeing, collaborating with Belgian director, Tim Mielants (who also directed several episodes of Peaky Blinders).

Small Things Like These was set in Ireland, the mid-1980s, focusing on local and church issues, especially the Magdalene centres for unmarried mothers. Steve, on the other hand, is set in England, 1996. The screenplay is by the novelist, Max Porter. His novel was titled Shy, a student in a special school, whereas this film is called Steve, the name of the teacher who manages the school.

The film is tough going, not only for the students who have special needs, various forms of mental illness, some heritage of drugtaking, prone to anger and brawls. And, watching it, the audience will find it tough going, a real challenge as to how to deal with broken teenagers, to have some faith that there is a future for them. We get to know them, the difficulties, tensions amongst themselves – and a special focus on one of them, Shy.

The action takes place over 24 hours on a very difficult day at the special school, set in the English countryside, a small group of 17 year olds, a hard-working and committed staff, led by Steve, another fine Cillian Murphy performance. His assistant, surprisingly, is played effectively by Tracy Ullman. There are some veterans in the school, especially the cook, but also a young teacher who is committed but is finding the pressures and the tension hard to cope with.

The time as the day passes is indicated on screen throughout the film, people arriving, the introduction to the students, their cantankerous behaviour, trying to coax them, deal with them, impose some kind of order and discipline. Their activities, classes (and some of them are quite intelligent given the opportunity), football matches…

But the complexity of the day includes a television crew coming in to make a special about the school, the staff, the values, interviews with both staff and students, asking them on camera to find three words to describe themselves, the boys to look back on what has happened in their lives over the previous five years. But, of course, the crew often get in the way, and we see the host of the program speaking to camera and explaining what is happening at the school.

There is a visit from the local MP (Roger Allam) which doesn’t go well. And there are also the financial issues, government grants, visits from those responsible, the threats to close the school.

In so many countries these days there are concerns about youth crime. What are the solutions, risen, penalties, bail, rehabilitation…? This film offers 93 challenging minutes on these themes.

1. The title, the focus on Steve (but the novels title, Shy, one of the boys at the school)?
2. 1996, UK, politics, and of Conservative rule, political issues, financial issues, educational issues?
3. The action taking place over one day, time indications on screen, the pressure on all the characters, time passing, expectations, the routine of the school, classes, meals, football? And the television crew, filming and interviews? The arrival of the politician? The arrival of the board and the discussions?
4. The location, the school, interiors, the grounds? Palatial look?
5. The nature of the school, all the boys, aged 17, family backgrounds, violent tendencies, experience, angers, mental conditions? The role of the school, education, therapy, improvement?
6. The impact of the boys, public opinion, condemning them? The contrast with the staff, knowing them, bearing with them, hoping for them?
7. The device of having the television crew, the time limits, availability, the personalities of the crew, talking to camera, producer, technicians? The comments and observing the situations? Capturing sequences? And the importance of the interviews, in a limited number of minutes the staff explaining themselves, the boys, going back five years to reflect on what has happened to them? The putting together of the program? Will the viewing public?
8. The introduction to the boys, their personalities, British, ethnic differences? The focus on Shy, personality, the rocks and his explorations, his angers, his mother, the message of breaking up contact, no longer able to deal with him? The consequences? Tyrone, the young teacher, approaches? The range of the others, their violence, interactions, taunting each other?
9. Yet the football match, the rain, camaraderie and bravado?
10. Steve, in charge, his personality, responsibility, seeing him during the day, managing the time, the visitors, the rest of the staff, supported by Amanda, encouraging the young teacher, with the cook, the other staff members? Interactions with the boys, breaking up fights? The television crew, his three minutes? With the parliamentarian, showing him round, ER, the boys and the reaction, the swearing insult? The arrival of the board, the prospects for school, the realities of closing down, funding? His anger? Addiction, drinking, Amanda and her support? The ending of the day, going home, the difference with family at home?
11. Amanda, Deputy, businesslike, with the boys, with the TV crew, her interview, with the visitors, the closing of the school? Her trying to sports Steve, knowing the truth about him?
12. The young teacher, one-month, her earnestness, with the boys, the difficulties, the approaches, the warm support from Steve?
13. The meals, the cook, benign, interactions? The food?
14. The drama of the fights, in the dormitory area, the rooms? Provoking, angers, taunts? And the spectacular fight in the dining room, into the kitchen, confusion and mess?
15. The politician, grim, accent, being shown round, the speech, the insult, his being humiliated? (And the film parodying this kind of politician?)
16. The members of the board, young, representatives, financial issues, political issues, the handling of the discussion? The closing of the school, the reasons? And Steve’s anger?
17. 93 minutes, getting to know the range of characters very well, appreciating a difficult situation in terms of education and mental health?