Steve is schooling the compeтιтion on Netflix, graduating nearly to the top of its class. The new Netflix movie, released on October 3, is led by Cillian Murphy, the Irish actor’s first film for the streaming service, and one of his first roles after winning an Academy Award for his performance as the тιтular physicist in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer in 2023.
According to Reelgood‘s charts, Steve was the ninth most-watched movie on all streaming platforms in the United States for the week of October 2–8, ranking just below Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters in eighth place. Steve also ranks below The Naked Gun (Paramount+), Play Dirty (Prime Video), The Lost Bus (Apple TV+), Bring Her Back (HBO Max), Superman (HBO Max), Ballerina (Starz), Honey Don’t (Peacock), and above All of You (Apple TV+).
Steve stars Cillian Murphy as the тιтular headteacher over a crucial day at a failing reform school as he battles to save his students and his own sanity. Alongside him, a troubled student wrestles with his violent impulses and fragile hope for change, as each man confronts the possibility of redemption in a world that’s already given up on them.
Directed by Tim Mielants, reuniting with Cillian Murphy after 2024’s Small Things Like These, Steve‘s cast also includes seven-time Emmy winner Tracey Ullman, Jay Lycurgo (The Immortal Man), Simbi Ajikawo, two-time Oscar nominee Emily Watson (Breaking the Waves, Hilary and Jackie), Youssef Kerkour, Tut Nyuot, Priyanga Burford, Ruby Ashbourne-Serkis, Roger Allam, and many more.
Steve was written by Max Porter, based on his own 2023 novella, Shy.
Premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, Steve received rave reviews from critics calling it a stark drama that heaps one challenge after another onto its relentless protagonist, and though it occasionally stretches believability, Cillian Murphy’s outstanding performance anchors the chaos with striking authenticity.
Though Steve was left off Netflix’s Global Top 10 movies for this week (September 29–October 5), it’s put up an impressive performance by being the ninth most-watched movie on all streaming platforms in the US from October 2–8, ranking just below Netflix’s smash hit, KPop Demon Hunters. It’s an especially impressive performance for a sobering drama without broad appeal.
After winning an Oscar for Oppenheimer, rather than starring in big-budget blockbusters or securing high-paying roles, Cillian Murphy is using his newfound fame to make the films that he cares about and shine a light on smaller projects that might have gone unnoticed. It’s unlikely that as many viewers would have discovered Steve on Netflix if it hadn’t featured a freshly crowned Oscar winner.
