Urchin (Dickinson, 2025) - Cannes Film Festival

Salvation, Temptation, Destitution… Rinse and Repeat.

Even during his recovery, his past actions still clung to him like leeches, draining his determination while feeding him temptation.

Written by Xiaoyi Wang

With Urchin, Harris Dickinson proves that whether it is in front of or behind the camera, he is a dark horse to look out for. Known for his performances in Babygirl (2024) and Triangle of Sadness (2022), Dickinson took on the role of writer-director with his first directorial feature, shown in the Un Certain Regard category at this year’s Festival de Cannes.

The story follows Mike (Frank Dillane), a young addict who has been wandering the streets of London for years, begging for money at stoplights, sleeping on cardboard, and getting kicked out of restaurants. Nathan (Harris Dickinson), another homeless addict, seems to be his only friend. Not every friend steals your wallet and gets into fights in the middle of the street, but in Mike’s world, Nathan might be the closest thing to a friend he has. We are immediately attached to Mike and feel sympathetic towards him despite the situation. Still, he is seemingly charming, polite, and somewhat boyish. 

“What an unfortunate man,” you may think to yourself. This is perhaps what Simon, a casual passerby, felt, too, when he offered to buy Mike something to eat. Yet the former’s kindness was repaid with a brutal assault by Mike, who stole and pawned his watch. This poorly executed robbery led the police to arrest Mike with ease. After several months in prison, he emerges with a clean slate, a sober physique, and a positive attitude, supported by some help from the system. A new start. He finds himself in a hostel and even lands a job in a hotel kitchen. He makes friends… this time, actual friends.

Is this a story of redemption? In a way, yes. But if cleaning up one’s life were that easy, this and many other films wouldn’t exist. There would also be far fewer people like Mike on the streets. It’s easy to make assumptions and prejudge someone who struggles with addiction. But this film reminds you to ask yourself: “What is their reality?” Breaking the wheel of self-destruction is harder than saying a few words. It is a long and often agonizing journey that takes months or years of constant effort and upkeep.

The odyssey we undergo with this character is already impressive in its narration. On top of that, we also sense a deep care for him. Our lead actor, Frank Dillane, delivers an impressive and deeply layered portrayal, with convincing transformations throughout different stages of the film, earning him the well-deserved Best Actor award in the Un Certain Regard category.

If we were to see Mike in our day-to-day lives, most of us would likely brush him off and move on with our day. But for 99 minutes, we are conditioned to hear his story, to live his story, and together, we go down the sewer that is his life. He’s supposed to be an unlikable character on paper: he’s an addict, a drunk, violent, and he probably stinks. Yet somehow, there’s a charm, and we manage to hold out hope for this tragic man. Somehow, despite the fear of relapse, we still trust him.

The camera can often manipulate our perception of an event or character. Urchin perfectly balances stillness and movement. It maintains an objective view of most situations, as if we were bystanders on the street. With still and distant shots, reality is shown as it is. Then, there are moments when we enter the characters’ states of mind, accompanied by electric music that pulls you straight into tension.

I must say, I am extremely impressed by the attention to detail. Keep an attentive eye on the seemingly simple yet efficient set design — it holds many unspoken details that add to the story from the background. The prominent use of complementary colors and geometry was a visual feast throughout the film. Each pair of colors is connected to represent the character’s mental state, evolving as we either ascend away from or fall deeper into his cyclical habits.

Dickinson also cleverly merges this lucid realism with short sequences of surrealism, and this combination traps us in the tug-of-war inside Mike’s headspace. Even during his recovery, his past actions still clung to him like leeches, draining his determination while feeding him temptation.

Dance, rage, desolation, and the never-ending cycle of temptation, Urchin surpassed all my expectations for a directorial feature debut. It housed a solid story, excellent performances, and exquisite attention to detail. Often, you don’t need to shout grand statements; you only need to tell a compassionate human story through art. Leave the rest to the viewers. The realization will come naturally when they feel the dent in their hearts.

Urchin premiered in Un Certain Regard at the 2025 Festival de Cannes. As of now, there is no general release date.

Photos: Cannes Film Festival