NEED TO KNOW
Harris Dickinson’s first movie as a writer-director is heading to theaters this fall.
PEOPLE is exclusively debuting the first trailer for Urchin, directed by Babygirl and The Iron Claw actor Dickinson, 29. The film stars Frank Dillane (Fear The Walking Dead), Megan Northam, Amr Waked, Shonagh Marie and Karyna Khymchuk.
“On the streets of London, Mike is hustling to get by. Roadside evangelizers won’t let him sleep in peace, his slippery friend won’t pay up the money he stole, and before long, he finds himself in trouble with the law,” reads a synopsis.
“As he struggles to reintegrate into society, shuffling between gigs as a line cook and a trash collector, he must balance a newfound sense of community with his own itch for self-destruction.”
1-2 Special
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Dickinson tells PEOPLE that Urchin is “a very personal story for me. I grew up around people who were struggling — with addiction, with cycles they couldn’t escape — and later, through working with homeless charities, I saw even more of the realities and challenges they face.”
“I wanted to make a film that didn’t just show the hardship but also the humor and humanity that exist in those spaces,” he adds.
Dickinson says the movie is not “about judging people or systems — it’s about seeing the complexity of a life.”
“I hope audiences come away with a sense of compassion, and maybe a different perspective on the people we often walk past without a second thought,” he says.
“Stories about addiction and trauma can often feel heavy-handed. I wanted Urchin to find a balance; to acknowledge the pain, but also the absurdity and the laughter that so often live alongside it. With great tragedy often comes humor, and I think that’s part of telling the truth.”
1-2 Special
Urchin made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where Dillane won the festival’s best actor award. Dickinson also won the FIPRESCI Prize, given by the International Federation of Film Fritics, at Cannes for his work on the movie; the organization’s website says the prize is intended “to promote film-art and to encourage new and young cinema.”
Urchin is in theaters Oct. 10.
