(Credits: Netflix)

Cillian Murphy is back, and he is here to ruin our emotional stability once again. Netflix has finally dropped the trailer for Steve, and from the very first frame, you know this is not your average feel-good drama.

It is raw, it is heavy, and it has Murphy doing what he does best: making you feel everything and nothing all at once.

First things first, Steve is based on Max Porter’s 2023 novel ‘Shy’, and it is directed by Tim Mielants. The film takes us to mid-1990s England, where Steve, a headteacher at a last-chance reform school, is trying to keep his institution alive. On paper, it is about saving a school. In reality, it is about a man quietly drowning while trying to pull others to the surface. The trailer wastes no time showing us the cracks in Steve’s armour. There are quiet moments of exhaustion, bursts of frustration, and a lingering sadness he cannot seem to shake.

Then there is Shy, a troubled teen played by Jay Lycurgo. Their interactions are where the heart of the story beats. You can easily sense that Steve sees himself in this boy. He thinks saving Shy might just be his way of saving himself. It is intimate and tense, the kind of dynamic that keeps you leaning forward, even in a teaser that is just two minutes.

The visuals are moody. Empty classrooms, long corridors, and grey-washed skies mirror the heaviness of the story. They are not just visuals, they have a character. There are no flashy set pieces and no loud drama. Just a slow, steady tightening of the emotional rope. The supporting cast includes Tracey Ullman, Emily Watson and Simbi Ajikawo, so expect performances that add layers to an already deeply human story.

According to Tudum, Steve will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in the fall before arriving in select cinemas on September 19th. It will then land on Netflix worldwide on October 3rd. Tim Mielants, who is also the director behind Small Things Like These, is at the helm (as we know), which gives fans confidence that the tone and pacing will match the depth of the story.

This is the first big project of Cillian Murphy since Oppenheimer. It is a simple reminder to everyone of his uncanny ability to play characters who live in that quiet space between strength and fragility. While audiences are excited about his return as Tommy Shelby in the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie and his appearance in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Steve feels like it is the project that could define his year.

What stands out in the trailer is not just the emotional pull but also the realism. There is nothing romanticised about the struggle here. It is about how people try to hold things together when everything is falling apart. It is about small victories, fleeting moments of hope, and the deep cost of caring too much.

So yes, mark your calendar. This is not just another Netflix drop to add to your list and forget about. This is the kind of film you watch with the lights low and your phone on silent. If the trailer is anything to go by, Steve could easily be one of the most devastating and unforgettable performances of Cillian Murphy.