Greetings again from the darkness. You know those days when it feels like you are being pulled in all directions, and nothing seems to go right? Welcome to 24 hours in the life of Steve, the headteacher at Stanton Wood, a reform boarding college for troubled/challenging young men. This is one of those days that feels like a week. Even before he walks through the front door, he’s already getting pulled this way and that – a minute here, a quick decision there, a request for a sidebar, a need to run something by him. It’s a relentless job, heightened by the presence of a BBC documentary crew.
Writer Max Porter adapted his 2023 novel “Shy” for the big screen, and the film reunites director Tim Mielants with Cillian Murphy (Oscar winner for OPPENHEIMER, 2023), his leading man from SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE (2024) and “Peaky Blinders”. Murphy is one of the few actors who is somehow just as effective when he’s not talking as when he is. It’s a skill that benefits this film which is … choose your preferred descriptive word … frenetic, chaotic, hectic.
These students are certainly energetic and that energy often slips into a combative mode. The faculty spends an inordinate amount of time diffusing these conflicts. We only see bits and pieces of academic teaching, leaving the bulk of time devoted to life lessons and behavioral advice. Emily Watson plays the school psychiatrist/therapist, Jenny, and as with all the adults working at Stanton Wood, her heart is in the right place – regardless of the immense frustration that goes with the job. Tracey Ullman, flashing some dramatic chops, is Steve’s most supportive co-worker – and quickly expresses her displeasure at his tendency to self-medicate. Lola (Little Simz) is the newest faculty member, and she has one particularly tense scene in the cafeteria … proving her mettle in this environment.
The source novel is entitled “Shy”, and although Steve is the focus of the film, the student named Shy (Jay Lycurgo, “Titans”) seems to be a special case for Steve, and Shy’s phone conversation with his mother is the most heartbreaking moment in the film. When it is announced that the school is too expensive to run and will be shut down in six months, the presence of a local official (Roger Allam) leaves little doubt that a political message is being delivered. A recurring element finds the documentary crew asking each participant to name three words that describe themselves. Steve’s response: “very, very, tired”. He looks it and we understand. Some nice camera work from cinematographer Robrecht Heyvaert gives us glimpses of a lovely world outside the walls of Stanton Wood, whereas inside the stress is palpable.
Premiering on Netflix on October 3, 2025
Movie Reviews from the Dark 