Urchin

Urchin unfolds across the dense urban landscape of London, from street corners and café doors to prison visits and hostel rooms. The city serves as a pressure cooker where poverty, addiction, and survival collide. Its grey skies and crowded spaces frame Mike's struggle to find stability amid cycles of relapse and reintegration.

🕳️ Guilt

Mike's past violence toward Simon is revealed through flashbacks and a dawning self‑awareness. The memory of that act haunts him as he slides deeper into instability. The plot uses this guilt to drive his resistance to help, and to show how trauma shapes his choices.

🌧️ Survival

The narrative centers on a harsh urban survival: shelters, low‑pay work, and the constant risk of relapse. Mike tries to reintegrate through menial jobs and a support network, only to be pulled back by poverty, addiction, and the city's indifference. The film portrays the fragile balance between hope and desperation.

🧭 Identity

Mike's sense of belonging is fractured by adoption and lack of family support. His relationships with Nadia and Nathan become a means to navigate a life that feels provisional. The story uses his search for identity to explore how people cling to connections in times of crisis.

🌌 Reality and Dream

Surreal visions—like the cavernous space and the violinist—blur the line between memory, guilt, and present danger. The dreamlike sequences intensify Mike's internal struggle and suggest that escape may be as illusory as the next job or shelter.