After 'Small Things,' Can Murphy and Mielants Strike Again? Here’s Your First Look at 'Steve' — Next Emotional Blow

Fresh off the quiet devastation of Small Things Like These, Cillian Murphy reunites with director Tim Mielants for Steve — a new, emotionally charged drama that trades Irish repression for institutional collapse. Adapted by Max Porter from his own novel Shy, the film follows a single harrowing day in the life of a teacher at a last-chance reform school, where chaos outside mirrors the character’s unravelling within.

Murphy takes the lead as Steve, a man clinging to crumbling structures — both systemic and personal — with increasingly frayed hands. It’s said to be a rawer, heavier outing than the pair’s previous collaboration, with early test screening buzz describing it as "a pressure cooker" and praising Murphy’s magnetic, intensely internal performance. This isn’t Small Things 2 — it’s a tonal pivot into darker, more volatile territory.

Also starring Tracey Ullman, Simbi Ajikawo, and Emily Watson, the film marks Mielants’ latest step onto the international stage after years working in Belgian cinema. With two post-Oppenheimer projects now helmed by Mielants, Murphy seems to have found a creative rhythm with the director — and it’s one worth watching closely.

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Steve will see a limited theatrical release this September before landing on Netflix on October 3. With two collaborations now under their belt, could Murphy and Mielants be shaping up as one of the most quietly essential actor-director pairings of the decade?