The Hollywood Reporter can unveil behind-the-scenes imagery of Cillian Murphy‘s Steve, shot by legendary British photojournalist Sir Don McCullin.
The Netflix drama, directed by Tim Mielants and written by Max Porter, is a reimagining of Porter’s bestselling novel Shy and follows a pivotal day in the life of headteacher Steve (Murphy) and his students at a last-chance reform school.
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, who won a BIFA for his performance Sunday night), 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. Tracey Ullman, Simbi Ajikawo, and Emily Watson also feature amongst the impressive ensemble cast.
McCullin — whose portfolio includes history-making snaps from the Vietnam War, the Troubles and the Falklands War — has only ever captured a handful of films in his career, including Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-Up (1966) and Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down (2001). According to McCullin, Steve is his final one.
McCullin, 90, spent several days documenting the production, capturing never-before-seen reportage photography and referencing the style of some of his earlier work. Oscar winner Murphy, Mielants and the wider Steve ensemble can be seen in the BTS photos bringing Porter’s script to life.
Steve earned its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before its streaming debut on Netflix Oct. 3. Murphy told THRabout signing on after his career-defining Oppenheimer success: “As soon as I finished the Oppenheimer awards run, we went straight into Steve. It wasn’t strategic on my part, going one big one, one small one.”
“These were just the stories that drew me,” the Irish actor continued. “They were written by friends, and since we had a production company, we were able to get them made. And these are exactly the sort of stories that I want to tell, the kind of films I go to see myself.”
THR‘s chief film critic David Rooney said of the “deeply moving” film: “Moments of humor and rare quiet are essential to relieve the manic chaos that more often reigns in this unflinching but compassionate slice of social realism.”
In 2020, Angelina Jolie was tapped to direct a biopic about McCullin, Unreasonable Behaviour from Working Title, named after the photographer’s critically acclaimed autobiography.
