Film review: 'Steve' - Cillian Murphy proves a class act with a troubled youngster, but can either escape the gravitational pull of their past traumas?

"Devoted, kindly, and down to earth, Cillian Murphy's character seems able to strike just the right balance of authoritative and enlightened in his role as principal of Stanton Wood. It's the year 1996, and the English reform school represents a last-chance saloon for a group of teenagers with major behavioural issues. Located on the grounds of a former stately manor, the facility might be the only thing keeping these adolescents from time at Her Majesty's leisure."

"Amid the general antics and joshing of the youngsters, one pupil appears particularly troubled. This is Shy (Jay Lycurgo), whose history of violence and parental abandonment have left him stranded in depression and self-loathing. Shy lives in a cloud of marijuana smoke and disassociation, the drum 'n' bass blaring on his headphones the only real respite. Originally the focal point of Max Porter's eponymous source novel, Tim Mielants' film (adapted by Porter) instead positions Shy as a reflective presence on Steve's journey."

Cillian Murphy plays Steve, the devoted, kindly principal of Stanton Wood, a 1996 English reform school serving troubled teenagers. A television crew arrives to film how taxpayer money is spent, and their presence escalates tensions during a single chaotic day. Staff members, including a deputy played by Tracey Ullman and a counsellor played by Emily Watson, try to manage volatile, angsty pupils. One pupil, Shy (Jay Lycurgo), struggles with violence, parental abandonment, depression, and substance use, isolating himself with marijuana and drum 'n' bass music. Both carer and patient are portrayed as vulnerable to past traumas.

Read at Irish Independent