‘Urchin’: First Trailer for Harris Dickinson’s Acclaimed Cannes Directorial Debut

Here’s the first trailer for Harris Dickinson’s “Urchin,” which only seems to be available on social media, for now (via Film Updates).

The film was recently acquired by 1-2 Special for U.S. release. It received glowing reviews at Cannes, yet Neon, A24, and MUBI, perfect fits for this film, were not interested? A real shame.

This is a raw and unflinching look at homelessness and mental illness on London’s streets, premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard sidebar back in May.

“Urchin” walked away with the sidebar’s Best Performance award for star Frank Dillane, along with the coveted FIPRESCI Prize for the film. On the aggregates, it’s at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and 77 on Metacritic.

Dickinson, who made an impression starring opposite Nicole Kidman in “Babygirl,” is making his directorial debut here, but “Urchin,” is something else entirely — raw, small in scale, and unflinching. The gritty documentary-like realism to the storytelling rejects typical narrative structure, opting instead for a portrayal of the chaos inherent in the main character’s head.

What makes “Urchin” an impressive debut is its refusal to simplify: the story unspools in moments, with spare dialogue, and inspired visual choices. Dillane gives a devastating performance, anchoring the film’s gritty poetry into something real. Keep an eye out on this one when it’s released this fall.

“Urchin” hits theaters on October 3.