Urchin

Mike [Frank Dillane] is a homeless young man in London, grappling with addiction and poverty in a city that feels indifferent to his struggle. One morning, he accepts money from an older couple, but then notices a mysterious older woman playing violin and staring at him, a sight that leaves a chilling impression. Soon after, he discovers his wallet is missing and instinctively blames his friend Nathan [Harris Dickinson], sparking a heated confrontation outside a café. A stranger named Simon intervenes, and Mike manages to recover his wallet, though he still lashes out with an apology to Simon, who offers help in the form of a simple act—a sandwich.

That small act of generosity, however, spirals into something darker. Mike abruptly knocks Simon unconscious, swipes his watch, and hurries to a pawn shop to sell it. Outside, police and CCTV footage catch up with him, and he is arrested and remanded to prison. The harsh turn of events continues as he calls his mother, whose response is cold and distant, and he is processed into custody. The weight of his choices anchors him to a routine of surveillance, security checks, and the uneasy sense that every mistake is a step further from any chance of normal life.

When he is released, a prison officer warns him not to return, a warning that feels less like guidance and more like a shield against another fall. He meets Nadia [Buckso Dhillon-Woolley], a woman who supports his reintegration and helps place him in a hostel for a while. In a moment of vulnerability, he reveals to her that he was adopted and lacks any meaningful family support. The sense of abandonment settles in as he hears odd breathing in the night and spots the violin-woman again, a figure who seems to trace his movements, while a shower scene leads the camera through a surreal drain-pipe into a dark, cavernous space that feels more dream than reality.

A possible lead emerges when he finds clothes at a charity shop for a chef job interview, but his nerves spike when Nathan appears, forcing him to flee the scene. At the interview, he lays bare his criminal record, and Franco, the restaurant owner, takes a chance on him with a trial shift. Mike throws himself into the kitchen world, where the rhythm of chopping and sizzling becomes a counterpoint to his turbulent thoughts. He keeps meeting with Nadia, and she hints at a mediated meeting with Simon on the horizon, a promise that weighs heavily on him as he tries to piece together what happened.

At work, a food complaint lands on his plate, and though he resists, he ultimately handles it. Frustration boils over, and he storms into the storeroom, where another dream-like vision of the cave beckons. During the mediated meeting, Simon shares the distress the incident caused his daughter and his family, a disclosure that unsettles Mike and forces him to confront the consequences of his actions in a way he has never allowed himself before.

Back at the restaurant, Mike’s performance falters. Food is returned, tensions rise, and a clash with a coworker ends with Franco firing him for unreliability. The familiar pull of the streets proves stronger, and Mike slips back into his old role as a refuse collector. He teams up with Andrea [Megan Northam], with whom he forms a surprising bond that leads to a night of intimacy, followed by a dance show that triggers brutal flashbacks: he realizes aloud the harsh truth that he beat Simon repeatedly after knocking him out. Horrified by his own violence, he flees the scene, the weight of his past pressing on him with a cold clarity.

Insecurity tightens its grip as his hostel stay ends and he returns to the streets, desperate to reconnect with Nathan. He finds Nathan sober and living with a woman named Mary [Lacey Bond], a reminder of the fragile lines between friendship, dependence, and responsibility. Mike borrows some money, but his greed pushes him toward more, and Nathan calmly reclaims the excess as Mary watches with a distant, guarded calm. The spiral deepens: he becomes intoxicated, his behavior grows more volatile in a nightclub, a bouncer ejects him forcefully, and a failed attempt to steal liquor ends with another moment of collapse as he passes out.

Months pass, and he returns to the shelter he once knew, haunted by what he has done. After a night of drug use, the violin player reappears, guiding him down a corridor toward a chapel-like space. He follows, stepping into a larger stone hallway, where the violin player prepares something that remains shrouded in mystery. In another chamber, Nathan sits in a robe by an altar crowned with a head sculpture, and the two share a long, searching hug. Nathan leads Mike to a door, and with a sudden, jarring motion, throws him through it, sending him tumbling into a void. The end comes not with a shout but with a quiet resignation as Mike curls into the fetal position and slips into darkness, leaving the future uncertain and the past unforgotten.

Last Updated: December 04, 2025 at 15:32