Steve (2025) Dir: Tim Mielants

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This Netflix original drama, directed by Tim Mielants, wasn't really on my radar until it dropped onto its streaming service. Social realism films don't always appeal to me - I really have to be in the right mood for them, but this one intrigued me. Cillian Murphy, who co-produced and starred in the film, is known for producing some tremendous performances, and I had a feeling he could do so again in this.

Albeit understated, the cinematography utilised was fairly interesting. I liked the integration of faux-interview footage, even if it came across a little too dramatic or, conversely, silly, at times. Most of the camerawork was fairly simple, except for one in particular, which was a neat idea - a swooping sort of drone shot - but felt really out of place and even a little jarring. On the whole, though, the film looked pretty solid.

Where this film's strengths lay were in its emotional, thought provoking, and rather topical themes. The troubled youths of society have always been let down by their governments, often even when they appear to be trying to assist them. What this film did very well was to explore some of those instances from a grounded and self-aware point of view. The characters felt, for the most part, authentic, and the way some of the young people behaved was certainly indicative of how many people who have grown up in troubled environments can end up.

The story had an intensity to it that ebbed and flowed very nicely, allowing the film to maintain a steady momentum. The story was mostly quite cohesive, save for the occasional scene. I kind of wish the film had shown more of the complicated relationships between the boys in the story - I felt like their simply wasn't enough of that. I did, however, enjoy the succinct nature of the narrative, in how it focused in on one particular day in the life of the characters, rather than trying to cast its net too wide, so-to-speak.

I could really tell that Cillian Murphy cared about this project from how much effort he put into his performance. It felt like he was giving so much to the role, particularly when his character's emotions began to emerge more clearly. Murphy has a superb ability to tell stories with his face, even when he appears to be doing very little with it, but his delivery of dialogue was just as good, at times.

Of the supporting cast, there were two clear stand-outs to me, the first being Jay Lycurgo, who was able to produce some highly emotive scenes, thanks to the way he conveyed his character's internal turmoil and vulnerability. The other name was Tracey Ullman, whose role in the film was not that significant in terms of lines, but felt far more so in terms of how memorable she was. She worked very well with Murphy too, allowing them to share some very personal moments. I'd also like to briefly mention Little Simz, Tut Nyuot, Joshua J. Parker, Douggie McMeekin, and Emily Watson.

Overall, I thought this was a really decent social realism drama, which had a rock solid foundation in its leading actor, who seemed to throw everything at the role. It was also good to see a film explore the lives of some of society's lost boys - the ones the system has failed. Films like this have been, and will always be, necessary, and often give opportunities to new or less experienced actors. It's even better when they turn out as good as this one.