Cillian Murphy on the universal struggle that attracted him to Steve: "99 per cent of us are trying and failing"

But despite those major difference in the way the two stories are presented, they also have something very much in common.

In both films, Murphy plays a character driven by a deeply compassionate desire to do the right thing even in the face of exceedingly turbulent circumstances – whether that's a coal merchant helping a young woman affected by the Magdalene laundries in 1980s Ireland, or an overworked headteacher supporting a young man at a reform school for boys with behavioural difficulties in 1990s England.

It speaks to thematic ground that Murphy seems especially keen to cover as an actor and producer, something he describes as a "universal personal struggle".

"I think so, I think very much so," Murphy told RadioTimes.com when asked if this kind of story was something he was particularly interested in exploring. "I keep banging on about this, because I feel it's the most universal thing. The most universal personal struggle is that we're all... 99 per cent of us are trying and failing and trying and failing.

"And I feel it's just so... it connects with people, you know?" he continued. "And then you can turn it up and turn it down in terms of you can put it into a very, very heightened environment, or you can set it in a very realistic environment."

Murphy added that it was a "real tribute" to Mielants that he was able to go directly from something "very observational" and "very still" like Small Things Like These, to "this very, very energetic, very verbose, completely different world".

"And I guess there are thematic crossovers," he continued. "I never thought about it making this film, but I can see what you're talking about. But I mean, they're very, very old stories those sorts of stories – trying to do the right thing, and the system just breaking you down."

For his part, Mielants explained that he was interested in exploring the fact that "vulnerability is actually the strongest weapon we have as human beings," something he hopes shines through in both films he's made with Murphy.

"Unfortunately, I'm very good at [depicting] vulnerable men with depression!" he said. "So that's who I am. [But] we can be each other, I can be myself with [Murphy], and he can be himself with me, and I think we can share vulnerable ideas and be very open, and be very open to make mistakes."

Murphy's co-stars were equally effusive about the openness of their experiences working with Murphy, with Simbi Ajikawo (better known as rapper Little Simz) commenting on how "committed" the Peaky Blinders star seemed to his role.

"He was just in it," she explained. "Even though he's so lovely and so approachable, most of the time I was just like, 'Nah, he looks like he's in a zone and I don't want to take him out of that or disrupt that.' But he was always – for me, anyway – super down to run some lines or run the scene, [he's] just so collaborative and so open in sharing that space on camera."

“We're all aware that his success and his brilliance and his kindness got this film made," added Tracy Ullman, who plays the deputy to Murphy's headteacher in the film. "It was a privilege to work with him. And to come off such a huge Oscar winning success and make something like this and be so egalitarian with us all and helpful.

"It was a really intense part for him to play," she continued. "So sometimes I'd just leave him really and it was, like, you could just go talk about music that day, you know, to let him do it.

"We're all here because of him in this particular project, and we've just had an amazing time and an experience. We all thank him, [he's a] good bloke. It's like working with a Bentley – he ain't no Hyundai! He ain't no Tesla!"

Steve is now streaming on Netflix – sign up from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.