Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    TopBuzzMagazine.com
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    • Home
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Music
    • Fashion
    • Books
    • Science
    • Technology
    • Cover Story
    • Contact
      • About
      • Amazon Disclaimer
      • Terms and Conditions
      • Privacy Policy
      • DMCA / Copyrights Disclaimer
    TopBuzzMagazine.com
    Home»Movies»Steve review – OTT in all respects
    Movies

    Steve review – OTT in all respects

    By AdminSeptember 17, 2025
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Steve review – OTT in all respects



    When an actor wins a big award, or in the case of Cillian Murphy, the biggest award, the pressure mounts when it comes to answering that old chestnut of what happens next. Respect to Murphy, as rather than cash in his respectability chips with some thankless sidekick role in a superhero monstrosity, he’s chosen to keep things a little bit more real and focus on simple, old school character pieces which allow him to flex his dramatic muscles in a way that would not be so available to him in Hollywood.

    Steve is Murphy’s second collaboration with the Dutch director Tim Mielants following the 2024 film, Small Things Like These, and this time it’s a loose adaptation of Max Porter’s intimate novella, ​‘Shy‘. In fact, the focus of Porter’s novel – a juvenile delinquent suffering from suicidal ideation while living in a special boarding school for troubled teenagers – has been bumped into the background, and now the white middle-class head of the school, Steve (Murphy), has been nudged to the fore.

    Get more Little White Lies

    The film charts a single madcap day in which the world comes tumbling down around Steve: a camera crew are coming in to film a piece about the school; their future funding hangs in the balance; a local Tory MP (Roger Allam, obvs) is set to come in for a public address; and the boys are being absolute rotters. Mielants’ leans heavily on Steve’s hectic plate spinning, where he rests only to indulge his own private coping mechanisms. This leads to many scenes of people looking harried, clutching their hair, swearing, shouting and generally overacting. 

    Despite the old cliché of wanting to be the person who saves the lost souls at this school, there’s very little reason given why the Steve character is so invested in this project, and there’s precious little focus on what the staff are actually doing to rehabilitate the kids. It’s sparse on the technical detail of how these ​“half-way houses” actually work, and what the structure is supposed to be (even as it falls apart), so it all seems a bit abstract. Emily Watson is on hand as the freelance therapist, but from what we see, even her efforts seem entirely futile. 

    A general lack of detail ends up meaning that a lot of the film’s emotion and ideas are stated directly, whether through Murphy’s jittery (and at times quite contrived) performance, or via a voiceover device. Steve keeps saying how much he loves these boys and that’s what’s driving him, but the film stops short of actually trying to show that, and as such it ends up patronising the boys. It also leans quite heavily on thin stereotypes, such as Allam’s stuffed-shirt MP, a slimy funding partner and the TV crew whose cynical commentary about what they’re filming never feels authentic.

    Porter, who has written the screenplay, tries to sell us the notion that these types of institutions have some sort of implicit or therapeutic value, but is never serious in talking about the genuine pressures and obstacles that make their maintenance so difficult. Would a run-of-the-mill day not have been eventful enough?

    Tracey Ullman delivers a very appealing and nuanced performance as one of Steve’s senior colleagues, and she manages to channel some of that surreal drive that keeps such amazing and selfless people in such physically-testing jobs. Shy’s story arc is the most interesting, and his up and down mood certainly make him one of the more intriguing presences in the film. Yet his fate is far too heavily signposted in the now-customary flash-forward prologue, and we don’t spend enough time with him for the outcome to land emotionally. If this material and setting is something that holds interest, then digging out a copy of Alan Clarke’s 1979 film Scum hits would do you well. 





    View Original Source Here

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    Related Posts

    Tron: Ares review – plays like a vapid,…

    October 8, 2025

    Nicholas Hoult on Why He Won’t Appear at NYCC X-Men Reunion 

    October 8, 2025

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Riff on ‘Home Alone’ in New Short

    October 7, 2025

    Special Episode: Tilda Swinton – Ongoing at the…

    October 7, 2025

    Cannes Film Festival Ovation Goes Wrong in Hilarious Short Film From Viral Actor

    October 6, 2025

    The 10 Darkest Netflix TV Shows

    October 6, 2025
    popular posts

    Found in Translation: On Return to Seoul’s bittersweet depiction of

    The Best Cookbooks of Summer 2022

    Chapter Summaries, Analysis + Review: James by Percival Everett

    ‘The Masked Singer’: Mermaid on Fishtail Choreography & Finding the

    Kelly Clarkson Performs the Ultimate ‘Heartbreak Anthem’ for ‘Kellyoke’

    Angelina Jolie Announces Where Her Daughter Zahara Is Going to

    BMW Has Finally Made the 5 Series Electric

    Categories
    • Books (3,458)
    • Cover Story (8)
    • Events (20)
    • Fashion (2,554)
    • Interviews (47)
    • Movies (2,758)
    • Music (3,043)
    • News (162)
    • Politics (6)
    • Science (4,609)
    • Technology (2,753)
    • Television (3,483)
    • Uncategorized (932)
    Archives
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube Reddit TikTok
    © 2025 Top Buzz Magazine. All rights reserved. All articles, images, product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement unless specified. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie SettingsAccept
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT