Follows headteacher Steve battling for his reform college’s survival while managing his mental health. Concurrently, troubled student Shy navigates his violent tendencies and fragility, torn between his past and future prospects.

Cillian Murphy’s latest film reunites him with ‘Small Things Like These’ director Tim Mielants, in the tale of a headteacher who runs a school for teenage boys with behavioural difficulties. Taking the form of a ‘day in the life’, it follows Steve as he welcomes a documentary crew into the school to film and interview the teachers and students, on a day when a lot seems to go wrong across the board, creating the ‘drama’ that drives the story.

‘Steve’ begins at the start of the school day as Steve introduces the documentary crew to his fellow teachers and some of the students, many of whom clearly welcome the distraction. What begins as an ordinary day quickly spirals through a series of crises, small and large – student flare-ups, staff tensions, and a visit from the local MP (the brilliant Roger Allam, recalling Peter Mannion from ‘The Thick of It’!)—that expose the fragile balance of authority and trust in this charged environment. The fly-on-the-wall format creates a natural sense of immediacy, and Murphy’s quiet magnetism anchors the film from start to finish. The young ensemble cast is equally strong, offering raw, lived-in portrayals that keep the school’s troubled students from ever feeling like stereotypes. Amid the chaos, there are moments of genuine tenderness and moving conversations that give the film its most heartfelt and memorable beats.

Yet for all its strengths, ‘Steve’ often feels like it’s working too hard to keep viewers on edge. The steady escalation of mishaps, each one timed to spike tension, can feel more like narrative engineering than organic development. While these crises maintain momentum, they also undercut the naturalistic style the film is aiming for, and the contrivances take you out of the moment. It’s an engaging, well-acted drama with flashes of real insight, but its manufactured drama keeps it from fully earning the authenticity it strives to capture.

Rating: 3/5

Directed By: Tim Mielants

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Tracey Ullman, Jay Lycurgo, Simbi Ajikawo and Emily Watson

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt32985279/