The teacher-savior movie is a sub-genre that’s not too often explored nowadays. Especially since it’s been kind of a punchline with its many tropes in a limited story range. The genre started out with titles like 1955’s Blackboard Jungle with Glenn Ford and Sidney Poitier. Since then, we have gotten films like Stand and Deliver, Lean On Me and Dangerous Minds. You know the drill; the movies where there’s an inner city school, occupied by unruly, slacker students — some even violent. Then, a new teacher or principal comes in and brings out their potential by inspiring them to turn their lives around. It’s a genre tailor-made for drama.
Netflix has now released the trailer for Steve, which showcases a more intense struggle to reach troubled youths. The plot synopsis reads, “Set in the mid-90s, Steve is a reimagining of Max Porter’s Sunday Times bestseller Shy. The film follows a pivotal day in the life of headteacher Steve (Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy) and his students at a last-chance reform school amidst a world that has forsaken them. As Steve fights to protect the school’s integrity and impending closure, we witness him grappling with his own mental health. In parallel to Steve’s struggles, we meet Shy (Jay Lycurgo), a troubled teen caught between his past and what lies ahead as he tries to reconcile his inner fragility with his impulse for self-destruction and violence.”
Murphy is joined in the cast by Tracey Ullman, Jay Lycurgo, Simbi Ajikawo, Emily Watson, Douggie McMeekin, Youssef Kerkour, Luke Ayres, Joshua J Parker, Araloyin Oshunremi, Tut Nyuot, Tom Moya, Ahmed Ismail, Joshua Barry, Archie Fisher, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Priyanga Burford, George Fouracres, Marcus Garvey, Ruby Ashbourne-Serkis and Roger Allam.
Tim Mielants directs the film from a script written by Max Porter, which is based on his bestselling novel, Shy. Alan Moloney, Cillian Murphy and Tina Pawlik are on board as the producers of the film, while Max Porter is serving as the executive producer. Steve reunites Murphy with director Tim Mielants, who directed the little-seen (but excellent) Small Things Like These, which came out under the radar last fall. Max Porter also wrote the book Grief is the Thing with Feathers, which was recently turned into the Benedict Cumberbatch drama The Thing With Feathers.
Steve heads to TIFF next month and premieres on Netflix on October 3.
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed