Overview

• The film launched globally on Netflix on October 3 after a TIFF Platform premiere and a brief theatrical run.
• Author Max Porter adapted his novella by shifting the focus from the teen protagonist to headteacher Steve to create a new perspective.
• Set over one tense day in the mid-1990s, the story unfolds at a last-chance school facing budget pressures and possible closure as a TV news crew observes.
• Early reviews broadly praise Murphy’s performance and spotlight Jay Lycurgo, with opinions split on the film’s frenetic structure and documentary-style approach.
• Director Tim Mielants reunites with Murphy using handheld, verité techniques, with a score by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow and a new track from Little Simz.