Harris Dickinson has spent the past decade quietly building one of the most intriguing careers among Britain’s new wave of actors. From his breakout role in ‘Beach Rats’ through to acclaimed performances in ‘Triangle of Sadness’ and ‘The Iron Claw,’ Dickinson has developed a reputation for gritty vulnerability and unvarnished realism. But 2025 marks a turning point: not only has he stepped into the director’s chair for his first feature film, ‘Urchin,’ but he’s also set to portray John Lennon in Sam Mendes’s ambitious Beatles biopic project.
‘Urchin’: A Director’s Vision Rooted in Reality
‘Urchin’ isn’t just another entry in the long list of actor-directed indies. For Dickinson, the film is deeply personal, drawing on his own experiences growing up in Highams Park, London. The story follows Mike, played by Frank Dillane, a young man battling homelessness and addiction in a city that often turns its back on the vulnerable. Dickinson himself appears as Nathan, a manipulative acquaintance, but his role is deliberately marginal—he only stepped in when the original actor had to drop out, a testament to his commitment to the project’s authenticity.
What sets ‘Urchin’ apart is its unflinching look at the cyclical nature of poverty. Dickinson spent five years developing the script, consulting with social workers, including his own father, and immersing himself in the world he sought to depict. To ensure the film’s realism, Dickinson and Dillane visited prisons and spoke to experts on homelessness. The casting process was unconventional: Dickinson approached non-actors in pubs and train stations, seeking genuine faces and stories rather than polished performances. “I gathered this list of people I loved in terms of faces or vibes or feelings,” Dickinson told W Magazine, emphasizing the importance of aftercare for participants with lived experience.
The result is a film that refuses to romanticize or sensationalize its subject. Mike’s journey is rendered in steady, medium shots by cinematographer Josée Deshaies, capturing the sense of confinement and surveillance that shapes life on the margins. The film’s aesthetic—grim, quiet, and almost documentary-like—reflects Dickinson’s influences, including the kitchen-sink realism of Ken Loach and the poetic bleakness of Agnès Varda and Marc Isaacs. Dickinson even hosted weekly screenings for cast and crew, immersing them in films that tackled social disenfranchisement with honesty and nuance.
Frank Dillane’s Performance: The Heart of ‘Urchin’
Much of the critical praise for ‘Urchin’ has focused on Frank Dillane, whose portrayal of Mike is raw and uncomfortably real. Dillane’s character is not a symbol of perseverance or hope, but a complex figure—entitled, irresponsible, and desperate, yet never defeated. His performance, recognized at Cannes with the Un Certain Regard Best Actor award, anchors the film’s exploration of how social systems fail those who need them most. Rather than offering easy answers, ‘Urchin’ asks viewers to grapple with the messy reality of life on the streets, where small acts of kindness are rare and survival is anything but straightforward.
Critics like The AV Club have noted Dickinson’s avoidance of melodrama and cliché, praising the film’s British restraint and refusal to indulge in Hollywood-style inspiration. Even the film’s occasional forays into expressionism—dream sequences and moments of dissociation—are handled with subtlety, offering insight into Mike’s inner life without detracting from the harshness of his reality.
Artistic Integrity and Social Commentary
Dickinson’s own background informs the film’s moral compass. Having grown up with modest means, he’s acutely aware of the dangers of exploitation in storytelling. He worked with organizations like Cardboard Citizen, a theater company composed of actors with experience of homelessness, but was careful not to put anyone in front of the camera who wasn’t ready. “You’ve got to really make sure the after care is there,” he explained to W Magazine.
The film’s release has been accompanied by pointed social commentary from Dickinson. At the Cannes premiere, he wore a t-shirt referencing former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s controversial remarks about homelessness: “Living on the streets is not a lifestyle choice Suella. It’s a sign of failed government policy.” For Dickinson, the artist’s role is not just to reflect society but to challenge it. “It’s not bravery to support something that’s right or wrong. It feels morally weird to not talk about shit,” he said, underscoring his belief that silence in the face of injustice is itself a political act.
Looking Ahead: From ‘Urchin’ to Lennon
As ‘Urchin’ rolls out to wider audiences, Dickinson is preparing for his next major challenge: embodying John Lennon in Sam Mendes’s forthcoming Beatles biopic series. The project, which will feature Dickinson alongside Paul Mescal, Saoirse Ronan, Joseph Quinn, and Barry Keoghan, promises to be a landmark in British cinema. Dickinson sees parallels between Lennon’s outspoken activism and his own commitment to addressing social issues. “Speaking about [Lennon’s] journey with social issues, it was a thing for the whole band… Now we’re in a time where it’s not radical to talk about these things. It just feels like a given.”
In both his directorial work and his acting, Dickinson is carving out a space for stories that matter—stories that confront difficult truths without resorting to sentimentality. His willingness to take risks, both artistically and personally, marks him as a figure to watch in the years ahead.
Harris Dickinson’s journey from actor to director with ‘Urchin’ is more than a career pivot—it’s a statement about the power of cinema to illuminate lives often left in darkness. By centering authenticity and social critique, Dickinson offers a blueprint for how artists can responsibly engage with the realities around them, refusing the easy comfort of distance or detachment.