In the midst of a rising career as an actor — he’s recently appeared in films like The Iron Claw and Babygirl — Harris Dickinson makes his feature film screenwriting and directing debut with Urchin. Dickinson shows some promise as a filmmaker, but despite an earnest attempt at tackling difficult subject matter anchored by a great central performance, Urchin doesn’t quite hit its mark by the end, succumbing to some plot conveniences and overly artsy flourishes.
The film focuses on Mike (Frank Dillane), who we meet as a longtime addict who’s fallen into homelessness. The opening scenes are shot naturalistically without any accompanying music, and do a solid job of depicting Mike’s harsh life on the streets of London. Soon, however, his impulsive decision to assault and rob Simon (Okezie Morro), a businessman who was in the midst of showing him some kindness, lands him in prison, and then rehab. The majority of the story follows Mike’s post-prison life, as he attempts to reintegrate into society.
- Release Date
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May 17, 2025
- Runtime
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99 minutes
- Director
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Harris Dickinson
- Writers
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Harris Dickinson
- Producers
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Scott O’Donnell, Archie Pearch
Dillane, whose quirky-yet-charismatic vibe made him stand out in the likes of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Fear The Walking Dead, is well cast here, giving a compelling performance in a notably tricky role. Mike can be a genuinely awful person at times; we see this right from the start, thanks to how he treats Simon. Yet he’s also both our protagonist and someone who is desperate to connect with people in a way that often eludes him — usually thanks to his own actions. Dillane keeps Mike sympathetic and even genuinely endearing at his best moments, while also not trying to mask his darker aspects and the demons he’s constantly battling.
The film’s first half is its strongest, as it becomes clear that Frank is trying too hard to make everything feel fine too quickly and that he’s not allowing himself to actually be genuinely introspective about the things he’s done and how he can truly better himself. Dillane does excellent work at showing the facade Mike has built up, and how quickly the mask can drop when conflict arises, or he’s asked to truly look back at his past.
Dickinson’s own career as an actor serves him well when it comes to working with Dillane and the rest of the cast, with everyone feeling very genuine and unique. Mike’s journey takes him through a couple of different jobs; each has a distinct feel, both thanks to their very different environments and the different groups of people surrounding Mike.
However, there are some specifics that don’t ring true along the way. A sequence of Mike having a fun night out with some coworkers becomes too fun: Glimpsed via montage, the multiple turns their night takes feel silly in their on-the-nose attempt to allow Mike to experience the kind of good times he’s missed out on. Mike’s seemingly caring caseworker (Buckso Dhillon-Woolley) suddenly becoming unreachable when the story calls for it is another frustrating aspect, without explanation provided to either Mike or the audience. Sure, this is meant to be frustrating as far as Mike is concerned. But it also feels somewhat contrived, given it doesn’t match what we saw of her previously.
Dickinson also mixes in some moments of dreamlike imagery that feel like an attempt at something more overtly artistic and off-kilter; the approach never gels, and instead feels like a self-conscious and unnecessary diversion. Urchin is at its best when it’s focusing on Mike’s dynamics with others, including Andrea (Megan Northam), a coworker with whom he has some romantic sparks. Northam gives Andrea a likable, offbeat flair that makes you believe she would be ntrigued by and drawn to someone like Mike.
Unfortunately, though, Urchin doesn’t provide enough of a spin on what feels like an inevitable path for its story, as Mike fights to resist returning to his old habits in more ways than one. And it all culminates in Dickinson returning to his weaker tendencies, as the film’s final moments go into full dream mode in a way that feels especially vexing. There are plenty of movies that end on a surreal note in a way that feels appropriate. But that’s not the case for Urchin. Yes, you can make your own assumptions about what’s truly happening versus the fantastical things we see, but it just doesn’t land with the impact intended here. Instead, it truly leaves the film feeling incomplete, to the point that it’s genuinely (and somewhat laughably) surprising when Urchin cuts to its closing credits, and it sinks in that yep, that really was the end.
As a first film, Urchin represents a filmmaker still working out the kinks. Dickinson — who also has a small role in the movie as another addict Mike knows — proves here that, as a writer-director, he can provide compelling character moments and is skilled at letting his cast feel genuine and authentic. If he can overcome his more distracting, overly showy tendencies, he could turn into a strong filmmaker if he wishes to continue on that path.
From 1-2 Special, Urchin opens in New York and Los Angeles on October 10, with a nationwide expansion to follow on October17.