Urchin follows Frank Dillane (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) as Mike, a homeless Londoner who can’t seem to catch a break. In between battling his lack of stability for the past five years, he struggles with substance abuse, which keeps him in a vicious cycle of self-destruction. Even help from strangers seems to be a trigger point for Mike, inducing erratic behavior at inopportune moments. When a man named Simon offers to buy him food, Mike slugs him, then steals his watch as a thank-you.

The mugging seemingly acts as the central event that sends Mike on a downward spiral. However, first-time feature director Harris Dickinson, who also wrote the script, doesn’t play all those cards up front. After Mike’s arrest and imprisonment, social services worked with him after his release —and seven months of sobriety. A local hotel hires him as an entry-level chef, and he befriends his coworkers, with whom he often ventures out with to sing karaoke. Things are starting to look up for Mike, as he regains control over his life through the restorative justice program.

It's A Tough Battle Between Frustration & Empathy Throughout Urchin

As expected with these types of films, the good times don’t last very long. Dickinson uses the original mugging to shine a light on Mike’s inherent problem and the driver for his addiction issues — a lack of ability. When things go wrong in Mike’s life, things happen to him, never because of him. As a result, Harris’ script often leans into frustrating territory, which overshadows the empathetic story he attempts to tell. It’s clear Mike also suffers from mental instability, but without the script exploring this avenue of his life, we’re left to speculate that he simply doesn’t have the willpower to take responsibility.

The nice part about Urchin is its readiness to set us up for hopeful outcomes. The strongest evidence of this stems from the new relationships Mike builds throughout the story that tend to lead him down a path of sobriety and stability. Unfortunately, just as quickly as these relationships come, they go, which cleverly represents the volatility of addiction issues. Had this ebb and flow approach been given more breathing room, it could have worked holistically. Yet, Dickinson chooses to cut sequences (and people) out of the story just when they begin to make their mark.

Urchin's Fragmented Storytelling & Artistic Sequencing Make It Memorable

Though it’s not entirely clear what led Mike down this road of irresponsibility and addiction, the lack of clarity is not what hurts the film. In fact, it's the opposite. The fragmented storytelling often positions us to feel empathy, frustration, and irritability in ways that make Urchin memorable. Dickinson pairs this approach with fascinating imagery and sequences that often feel like they belong in an entirely separate film. Yet, the value that it brings to connect Mike’s messy life to Dickinson’s distinctive visual flair is appreciated.

The fragmented storytelling often positions us to feel empathy, frustration, and irritability in ways that make Urchin memorable.

The multiple train wrecks that transpire onscreen often invite judgment. But it’s Dillane’s ability to craft a child-like performance that reminds us to reserve conviction. Mike isn’t good at making decisions. His inability to predict consequences of any kind is often the root cause of his behavioral troubles. With this in mind, it isn’t surprising to see Dillane’s acting choices. But the most interesting and beautiful piece to this puzzle is the fact that Dillane's performance can steer the audience in any direction emotionally and at any given moment.

Suffice it to say, Urchin isn’t the easiest watching experience. Witnessing Mike endure his troubles and make certain choices often feels like there’s a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Yet Dickinson’s strength as a writer-director is enabling us to feel something, anything, one way or another. Frank Dillane takes it a step further by taking us on a roller-coaster of emotions as his character bounces in and out of instability and brief moments of happiness. If nothing else, his performance alone is worth struggling through one’s own consciousness about how we judge addiction and homelessness.

Urchin premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.