Most critics are impressed by Urchin, and the praise lands in the same two places. Nearly every review calls Dickinson’s first film as director compassionate and assured, and almost all of them single out Frank Dillane’s performance as Mike, a homeless man caught in addiction, for conveying neediness and volatility without asking for easy sympathy. Several also admire how the film moves between everyday comedy and dread, and how it refuses to promise recovery.
The reservations are mild and cluster around familiarity. Sight and Sound and The AV Club both find the shape of Mike’s relapse predictable, and Slant thinks the film occasionally falls back on cliché despite its good intentions. The Los Angeles Times enjoys the film but finds its dreamy interludes unnecessary, where Empire counts the surreal sequences among its virtues. The spread is narrow: no critic dislikes it, and even the coolest reviews call it respectable and affecting.
E
Empire
30 September 2025 · Iana Murray
85*
Murray praises Urchin as an empathetic, original directorial debut that resists easy answers. She singles out Frank Dillane’s outstanding performance and the film’s observational visuals and surreal sequences.
Bradshaw finds the film a smart, compassionate and impressive directorial debut, though it offers no easy answers. He particularly praises Frank Dillane’s vulnerable, finely observed central performance.
Ehrlich praises Dickinson’s debut as a perceptive, bracing portrait of a homeless man caught in destructive patterns. He singles out Frank Dillane’s magnetic performance for conveying neediness and volatility without resorting to easy sympathy.
Strong finds the film poignant and humane, balancing its bleakness with moments of lightness. She especially praises Frank Dillane’s charismatic, vulnerable performance at the film’s centre.
Rooney finds Dickinson’s debut a thoughtful, distinctive portrait of addiction and homelessness. He especially praises Frank Dillane’s volatile, deeply committed performance as Mike.
The review presents Dickinson’s debut as an arresting, hard-hitting film. It singles out its portrayal of London’s underbelly as its defining strength.
Whipp finds Dickinson’s debut assured and deeply compassionate, establishing him as a filmmaker to watch. He especially praises Frank Dillane’s convincing, complex performance, while noting that the dreamy interludes feel unnecessary.
The critic finds the film largely avoids sentimental or simplistic treatment, though it sometimes seems to fall back on cliché. He praises its self-aware exploration of representation and the artist’s fraught relationship with a character.
Lodge finds Dickinson’s debut compassionate and sharply effective, though it makes no easy promises about recovery. He particularly praises Frank Dillane’s revealing performance and the film’s deft shifts between everyday comedy and anxiety.
The headline presents the film as an elevated study of addiction, suggesting a positive verdict. The accessible text offers no further details about what the critic singles out.
The review finds the film flawed but admirable, with a distinctive directorial voice. It praises Frank Dillane’s outstanding performance and Dickinson’s imaginative choices, while noting the predictable trajectory of Michael’s relapse.
The review calls Urchin a respectable, affecting debut, though its familiar treatment of homelessness limits it. It singles out Frank Dillane’s magnetic, complex lead performance for elevating the film.
Wise calls the film a nuanced, unexpectedly moving knockout that examines self-destruction without easy answers. He especially praises Frank Dillane’s revelatory performance and the film’s poetic ending.
The critic calls Dickinson’s debut a breathtaking, deeply humane drama that builds to a devastating finale. Frank Dillane’s delicate, fully embodied performance is singled out for praise.
Kiely finds Dickinson’s debut an impressive, thoughtful contribution to British realism. She especially praises Frank Dillane’s nuanced performance as Mike.
Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate