Cillian Murphy Shines in Trailer for New ‘Shy’ Adaptation – ‘Steve’
Cillian Murphy is stepping into the lead role in Steve, a new film based on Max Porter’s bestselling novel Shy.
The movie follows a head teacher named Steve and one of his students, Shy, as they both face their own struggles at a reform school on the brink of closure. You can now watch the trailer for Steve and check out first-look photos from the film.
Set in the mid-’90s, Steve reimagines Porter’s Sunday Times bestseller. Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy plays the head teacher, Steve, who is trying to save his last-chance reform school while dealing with his own mental health challenges.
At the same time, we meet Shy, played by Jay Lycurgo, a troubled teen torn between his past and an uncertain future, struggling with self-destructive behavior and violent impulses.
At a reform school in mid-90s England, these lost boys get one last chance.
— Netflix (@netflix) August 13, 2025
Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy and Jay Lycurgo star in STEVE. Coming to select theaters September 19 and on Netflix October 3. pic.twitter.com/BN0Ptij75D
The movie is written by Max Porter himself and directed by Tim Mielants, known for Small Things Like These. Alan Moloney, Cillian Murphy, and Tina Pawlik produce, while Porter serves as executive producer. The score is by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow.
The cast also includes Tracey Ullman, Simbi Ajikawo, and Emily Watson. The film explores the lives of two very different people brought together by the pressures of a school that’s about to close and the challenges they face inside and outside its walls.
Fans can watch the trailer to get a first look at the story and the world of the film. The photos show glimpses of the cast, including Murphy, Lycurgo, Ullman, and Ajikawo, giving a feel for the setting and tone of the movie.
Steve will be at the Toronto International Film Festival this fall and will hit select theaters in the US, UK, and Ireland before premiering globally on Netflix on October 3.
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