Urchin

"Understand that there is a God who loves us all," shouts a street vendor in London as she tries to sell Bibles. But does that same divine comfort extend to Mike, who wakes up a few steps away from his drunken stupor? He's one of the estimated 12,000 rough sleepers in the British capital. Mike gets through the day by begging for change, chatting with fellow rough sleepers, and getting chased out of restaurants where he tries to charge his phone. Over time, he's forgotten how to accept help. When a kind stranger offers a good deed, Mike repays him with a violent theft. And so drifts between prison, the streets, and the run-down hotels assigned to him by social services. Mentally and physically worn down, Mike desperately tries to break free from the spiral and find a place in a society that keeps pushing him away.

Urchin marks the directorial debut of 29-year-old actor Harris Dickinson. Since his first role in Eliza Hittman's Beach Rats (2017), the multi-talented performer's career has skyrocketed. Even at a very young age, Dickinson was already making short films, skate videos, and sketches. His big breakthrough came as the charmingly naïve top model in Ruben Östlund's Palme d'Or winner Triangle of Sadness - a character and world miles away from the social-realist British cinema of Ken Loach and Andrea Arnold that inspired his debut. Since then, Dickinson has shown impressive range in films like Where the Crawdads Sing, Scrapper and The Iron Claw. And earlier this year, he went headfirst in bolder territory in Halina Reijn's buzzed-about Babygirl, delivering a scene-stealing turn as a horny intern opposite Nicole Kidman.

The inspiration for Urchin came from Dickinson's own experiences growing up in East London and his volunteer work with various support organisations. Through his central character Mike (a powerful performance by Frank Dillane), Dickinson raises urgent questions about the UK's homelessness policies and the flawed structure of its social services. Despite echoes of Ken Loach, Urchin avoids the traditional road of social realism. Instead, Dickinson blends a range of influences - from the rebellious spirit of Mike Leigh and the warmth and humor of Agnès Varda to the gritty energy of the Safdie Brothers' street films. He occasionally steps away from realism, weaving in sharp dialogue, awkward dances, and surreal moments that offer a glimpse into Mike's inner world.