Time: 99 Minutes
Age Rating: R16
Cast:
Frank Dillane as Mike
Megan Northam as Andrea
Karyna Khymchuk as Ramona
Shonagh Marie as Chanelle
Amr Waked as Franco
Director: Harris Dickinson

I didn’t know much about Urchin, but I was interested in it because it’s actor Harris Dickinson’s debut as a director, and it received some positive reactions following its showing at Cannes. It definitely lived up to its praise. 

Urchin is a character study that’s light in story, and is mainly just watching its lead character try (and often fail) to escape and break out of his cycle of addiction and homelessness. Throughout its 100 minute runtime, it takes an empathetic approach while also feeling very real and honest. You’re very engaged with seeing where Mike’s story will go. 

Frank Dillane is amazing in the lead role of Mike, delivering such a raw, vulnerable, human and layered performance. So much of this movie hinges on this performance and it absolutely delivers on everything it needed to be.

Harris Dickinson already shows great promise as a director. The cinematography is really nice, and I also liked the very interesting blend of gritty and grounded realism with surrealism and how it switches between the two. I also quite liked the use of music and needle drops.

Urchin is a solid, honest and empathetic character study with great performances (especially from Frank Dillane), and a really good directorial debut from Harris Dickinson. I’m definitely interested to see him direct more films after this.