Urchin (MA) – 99 minutes

This gritty British drama, which marks a strong feature debut for writer and director Harris Dickinson, follows a young, homeless addict whose life continues to spiral.

Mike (Frank Dillane) lives a hard, meaningless existence on the streets of London.

He wanders about aimlessly in search of money and can’t get his act together, sleeping wherever he can. 

That could be crumpled on a busy street corner or on cardboard boxes atop a building.

He is betrayed by another homeless, addicted man – supposedly a friend.

Even when he is shown kindness, he is desperate and violent.

His adopted parents want nothing to do with him and after bashing and robbing a good Samaritan, he ends up in jail.

Upon his release, he is given temporary accommodation at a local hostel and he lands a job as a chef.

Things appear to be looking up.

He has been sober for seven months, but coping with the vicissitudes of life has never been Mike’s strong suit.

His self-destructive tendencies inevitably get the better of him.

That and his unreliability soon enough sees him let go.

Social services arranges for him to meet the man who showed him kindness and whom he attacked.

But when that day arrives, it doesn’t produce the desired result.

After he loses his job, Mike turns to a former employer where he worked as a garbo for a leg up and starts collecting rubbish again.

It is in that environment that he meets a fellow rubbish collector who aspires to operate a juice van.

Initially, they hit it off, but in next to no time Mike is back on the gear – snorting and drinking.

He again loses his job and things between the pair end badly.

Meanwhile, his time in temporary accommodation runs out and appeals from Mike for help fall on deaf ears.

Urchin is a deeply personal story for Harris Dickinson.

It has been shaped by his experiences growing up around people struggling with addiction and difficult circumstances they couldn’t escape.

Through his work with homeless charities, Dickinson became closely acquainted with the realities and challenges faced by those affected.

When developing the character of Mike, Harris drew inspiration from a variety of people he has encountered.

Mike is an amalgam of several he has been close to and others he has worked with.

Urchin is tough and unrelenting, but a compelling watch.

Frank Dillane makes Mike his own, bringing charm and a vacant stare to the role. He attracts and repels.

The movie is as much about a broken system as it is about addiction.

Around Mike, several other characters – the “mate”, the Good Samaritan, the social workers, the first employer, the fellow workers – quickly make their mark too.

Importantly, all bring disturbing realism to their parts and you are left wondering how this vicious cycle, common to so many cities, can be successfully broken.

Of course, that is the whole point of the film, which is in your face the whole way.

Urchin scores a 7½ out of 10.