Harris Dickinson is slowly becoming one of the biggest actors of his generation. Starring in Babygirl, one of A24’s highest-grossing movies, and Triangle of Sadness, a Best Picture-nominated film, his success in indie films has propelled him to become a major movie star, leading him to receive the role of John Lennon in the four Beatles biopics directed by Sam Mendes. Before he dedicates years of his life to bringing Lennon to life on the big screen, Dickinson decided to take on the role of writer/director in his debut feature, Urchin, a deep dive into addiction and class struggles.

Urchin follows Mike, played by Frank Dillane, a houseless addict living on the streets of London. After serving time in prison, he is given a chance to redeem himself by accepting a job in a kitchen at a local hotel. Becoming sober in the process, he learns the value of life and money, but slowly reverts to his old ways after hitting a few bumps in his road to recovery. Blending humanistic storytelling with spirituality, Dickinson crafts a wholly unique experience that showcases his potential as an indie filmmaker.

The film immediately puts the audience in the headspace of a houseless person, constantly pursuing money, food, and shelter, letting no one get in the way of their wants and needs. Dickinson takes a page from the Safdie playbook in the first 20 minutes, delivering an intense, enthralling experience as Mike attempts to retrieve his wallet. The camera is placed far back in this sequence, almost as if we are viewing these events from the background. This approach emphasizes Dickinson’s attempt to let the characters drive the story, restricting the visual language to let the dialogue and performances take the lead. His decision to do so allows the viewer to empathize with the characters in an extremely nuanced way.

The pace slows dramatically once Mike is released from prison, but not to the detriment of the story. Although the frenetic pacing is missed, the film truly comes into its own after the opening, telling a humanistic story of a man’s road to redemption through his everyday tasks. Despite committing heinous crimes, the film finds beauty beyond Mike’s actions, successfully making the audience care about where he ends up. This is especially evident in the middle portion of the film, which follows Mike’s journey from a violent criminal to a much happier working-class citizen.

Frank Dillane delivers a tour-de-force performance as Mike. His multifaceted portrayal of a drug-addicted tricenarian blurs the line between likable and unlikable in all the best ways, being simultaneously fearful of his actions as well as hoping for the best for him. Although the script allows for a deep dissection of Mike, Dillane’s performance adds nuance to the role that truly brought his character to life. There is so much humanity depicted in his performance, and it’s easy for the audience to draw real-life comparisons. Everyone knows someone like Mike, and that is thanks to Dillane’s realistic, committed performance.

Urchin is not only a humanistic interpretation of one’s journey to recovery, but it is also littered with spirituality. The film is bookended by religion, with the opening shot featuring a woman speaking the word of God to passersby on the streets of London, and the ending delving into surrealism and biblical imagery. While most of the film replicates the styles of Kelly Reichardt and Sean Baker, the spiritual presence allows for Dickinson’s signature voice to prosper throughout, making for a highly unique and original telling of the story.

Although the film ends on a relatively satisfying note that hammers home themes of acceptance, the tension never reaches the heights of the first act. Instead of bringing back the intensity of the first 20 minutes, the film becomes extremely melancholic and ends on a quiet note. Much like the spiritual elements, the heightened tension should’ve bookended the film. Doing so would’ve made the film far more satisfying than it already was.

For a directorial and written debut, Urchin delivers a worthwhile experience that explores modern themes on par with most veteran filmmakers. Extremely early in his career, Dickinson has shown strong potential as a future classic filmmaker through this melancholic, slice-of-life story. It is truly unfair how talented Harris Dickinson is.

Urchin is now playing in select theaters.

Rating: 7/10

Oscar Prospects:

None