Scrapper (2023)

The Sundance breakout is a lean, vivid working-class drama that balances social realism with imagination and low-key humour. It delivers a heart-piercing father-daughter story full of loving detail and gruff emotion.

The debut feature is a colourful, hopeful story of grief and father-daughter reconnection that avoids kitchen-sink clichés. It balances humour and tenderness with emotional intelligence and wit.

The critic praises the film's fluid tone blending whimsy, pathos, and humor in a story of a self-reliant girl and her immature father reconnecting after her mother's death. She highlights the authentic lead performances and inventive style as making for an impressive directorial debut.

The film is a poignant Sundance prize-winner with dazzling performances from the young lead and director's fresh voice. It mixes whimsy and realism but has some twee and implausible moments.

The critic finds it a charming, effervescent story about grief, praising the delightful chemistry between Campbell and Dickinson.

The critic calls it an impressive debut with a charming comedy-drama, eccentric script, playful direction and striking chemistry between leads.

The critic praises the film's charming romp and magical realism, highlighting the fun father-daughter criminal partnership and flights of fantasy that elevate the debut.

The critic praises the warm, freewheeling comedy-drama with rascally energy, noting it proves working-class stories can be joyful.

The review praises the low-key but high-spirited debut as a wise British charmer about a seemingly orphaned girl and her delinquent father, highlighting its appealing father-daughter dynamic.

The critic describes it as stylistically bold and youthful, a picture packed with ideas and fizzing energy in an unconventional urban fairytale.

The critic views the film as a sweet but strained bit of fluff that tries too hard to be quirky and funny, often becoming annoying, though it benefits from strong performances by Harris Dickinson and newcomer Lola Campbell.

The critic sees the film as a baffling clash between kitchen-sink realism and twee indie dramedy that undermines its themes of grief and class with intrusive, ungrounded flights of fancy and generic scenes.

The engagingly scrappy debut has plenty going for it, with an astonishing performance from newcomer Lola Campbell and bolshie joyousness at its best.

The film offers a tender sweetness in its portrayal of a fragile father-daughter relationship, offset by visual dreaminess and warmth in the central performances.

The review calls the debut feature whip-smart, centering a capable 12-year-old who navigates life alone until her estranged father arrives and disrupts her routine. It commends the strong newcomer performance and the film's blend of comedy and drama in their evolving relationship.

The film fails to pack an emotional punch despite quirky sequences and the efforts of its lead actors, resulting in an underwhelming take on the errant-father formula.

The critic describes it as a sweet, pastel-colored spin on British realism that benefits from Harris Dickinson's winning performance as a deadbeat dad. It notes the film's sunnier take on familiar territory but finds it occasionally too cute.

The critic finds the film endearing in its portrayal of a grieving daughter's bond with her long-lost father, praising the imaginative perspective and strong lead performances. They single out the mix of realistic scenes with vibrant, quippy imaginative bursts that illustrate the child's viewpoint.

The critic praises Regan's inventive direction that immerses viewers in the protagonist's imaginative world, highlighting the strong performances by Lola Campbell and Harris Dickinson in this father-daughter story. They single out the film's blend of whimsy and emotional depth as a standout.

The critic calls the film a lovely British drama about a grieving 12-year-old who believes she can raise herself and her estranged father who arrives to check on her. They praise Regan's empathetic direction and script, along with the standout performances of Harris Dickinson and newcomer Lola Campbell, while noting minor issues with exaggerated supporting characters.

The review calls it an uplifting if predictable feel-good story that benefits from strong lead chemistry and vibrant direction. The simplicity and charming performances make it effective despite lacking innovation.

The review portrays the film as a whimsical kitchen-sink drama dealing with grief, single parenting, and social care through candy-colored levity reminiscent of Wes Anderson. It praises the strong two-hander performances by Harris Dickinson and Lola Campbell but finds it occasionally flippant or baffling given the vulnerable subject matter.

The critic notes the film's ambitious mix of social realism with whimsical elements inspired by Wes Anderson, commending the cast but finding some choices off-putting and the tone uneven. They single out the vibrant color palette and playful tone amid working-class hardships for praise.

Scrapper puts a joyous spin on working-class stories with a tender father-daughter dramedy that doesn't overstay its welcome. The movie's secret weapon is its leading duo, with effortless chemistry between Campbell and Dickinson finding levity and hope in unexpected places.

The critic finds the father-daughter story familiar and overly conventional with little emotional specificity, though it hangs together as a brief debut. Dickinson's grounded performance stands out amid the twee elements and strong locations.