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Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Urchin' Review: Harris Dickinson's Knockout Directorial Debut Creates High Art From A Low, Sad Life
No good deed goes unpunished in Urchin, a London-set character study that shows so much sophisticated and worldly wisdom it's hard to believe that its writer, director and co-star is only 28 years old. Built around a charismatic performance from Frank Dillane, best known for his role as recovering heroin addict Nick Clark in AMC's Fear the Walking Dead, Harris Dickinson's remarkable feature debut takes the tropes of socially conscious British cinema and fashions a deceptively nuanced cautionary tale that isn't so much about the failings of that society as our own personal capacity for self-destruction. At the center of the drama is Michael (Dillane), who we find sleeping rough, woken up by city noise and the earnest entreaties of a largely ignored street preacher. In a subtle moment that tells you exactly who he is, Michael rudely pushes past her, then sets about his day. After charging his phone, begging for change and socializing at a soup kitchen, he realizes that his wallet has gone missing, stolen by his junkie friend Nathan (Dickinson). Dirty, scruffy and scarily intense, Michael accosts horrified passers-by to ask if they've seen him. 'He's wearing blue trousers and there's blood on his face,' he says, and they react exactly as you think they might, and probably would yourself. More from Deadline Harris Dickinson On The Inspiration For Cannes Directing Debut 'Urchin' And Why Upcoming John Lennon Role Is His 'Every Day Right Now' Cannes Film Festival 2025: Read All Of Deadline's Movie Reviews Tony Leung Ka-Fai & Juno Mak Talk 'Sons Of The Neon Night', Calls On Audiences To Treasure Cinemas - Cannes Film Festival Filmed in covert (improvised?) documentary-style situations, Michael is all but invisible thus far, and his interactions with the public feel so real that it's actually quite jarring when the film makes an abrupt segue from its loose so-far, so-verité aesthetic to tight drama with the film's shocking defining incident. After Michael finds Nathan outside a busy office building, a confrontation ensues, drawing in a good Samaritan, Simon, who diffuses the tension and offers to buy Michael lunch. In lieu of a thank-you, Michael waits until his benefactor's guard is down, assaults him, then steals his watch and pawns it. RELATED: Michael's ensuing eight-month prison sentence is handled in the most extraordinary way; as he showers, naked and vulnerable, the camera pans down to follow the falling water as it circles the drain then goes down, down and even further down, to the darkest depths of the ocean, even. And then, before you know it, Michael is out of captivity and back in society, encouraged by sympathetic social worker Nadia, who finds him a hostel, and employed by Franco, the kind-hearted manager of a hotel that we hear described by its guests as 'a shithole,' who offers him work as a prep cook in his kitchen. This is where the film gets interesting. Can Michael hold the job down after living so long in the margins? He seems to want to try, committing to getting himself sober and boasting to Nadia of an alcohol-free night doing karaoke with a couple of female workmates, joining in as they sing the cheesy but emotional 'Whole Again' by ill-starred '90s British girl group Atomic Kitten. He even listens to a self-help CD, and its holistic gibberish seems to be taking hold as he tries to take control of his new freedom. In fact, he becomes so comfortable that he agrees to a conciliatory meeting with his victim, Simon, who bears no malice but, more damagingly, articulates the question Michael has been running away from all these years: Why did he do it? The scene is uncomfortable and oddly brief; unusually for an actor-director, Dickinson doesn't go in for showy scenes and leaves a lot to be inferred. But the things he leaves out are every bit as powerful as the things he leaves in; this meeting triggers a reaction in Michael, a voracious, cancerous, near-Cronenbergian self-loathing that devours his self-esteem. RELATED: Full List Of Cannes Palme d'Or Winners Through The Years: Photo Gallery This kind of unraveling isn't that new in the pantheon of British kitchen-sink dramas, but what is quite startling is the film's clear-eyed, unsentimental portrayal of Michael as the author of his own tragedy. Dillane is quite the revelation in this respect; his backstory is lightly sketched, aside from a few references to his adoptive parents, but somehow it's all there. With his incongruous RP accent and oddly naive façade, he's quite likely posher than he lets on, but there's a sense that his street smarts have long since obliterated that past, that identity. Toward the end, he watches, with detachment, as a snake devours a mouse. Survival is his game, an addict's mindset described by author William S. Burroughs as the algebra of need ('The more absolute the need, the more predictable the behavior becomes until it is mathematically certain'). This might seem like cold right-wing rhetoric in today's charity-averse world, but Dickinson's film is more complex than that. It doesn't tell us to help the needy; it wants us to see that sometimes the needy can't and won't accept that help. Likewise, Urchin doesn't offer any answers, nor does it try, but it does open up a conversation about the people who fall through the cracks. Dillane is key here, whether pacing the streets in tacky charity-shop gear or invading people's spaces with his spidery, unwanted attention. It's to the credit of both that the film lands its ending, a strangely poetic but unexpectedly moving knockout. A vision of purgatory, perhaps, or an X-ray of a man who somehow lost his soul. Title: UrchinFestival: Cannes (Un Certain Regard)Director-screenwriter: Harris DickinsonCast: Frank Dillane, Megan Northam, Amr Waked, Karyna Khymchuk, Shonagh MarieSales agent: CharadesRunning time: 1 hr 39 min RELATED: Croisettiquette: Your Guide To The Dos And Don'ts Of The Strictest Red Carpet In The World Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? Everything We Know About Ari Aster's 'Eddington' So Far
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Samuel French Dies: ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon' & ‘Fear The Walking Dead' Actor Was 45
Samuel French, an actor who has appeared in Killers of the Flower Moon and Fear the Walking Dead, has died. He was 45. According to French's friend and collaborator Paul Sinacore, who directed his final performance in the upcoming film Towpath, French died on May 9. More from Deadline 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries 2024 Hollywood & Media Deaths: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Mark Gaines Dies: Longtime Universal Distribution Exec Was 77 Sinacore remembered French as a 'dear friend and an incredible actor,' praising his performance as Detective Bernard Crooke in Towpath, which also stars Eric Roberts and is now in post-production. 'Together, we were on an extraordinary journey, giving everything we had to realize a shared creative vision,' said Sinacore in a statement. 'Samuel carried a fire for acting that burned in every frame — unfiltered, fearless, and alive. He gave himself completely to the work, and it showed. I am deeply saddened by his loss and only wish he could have seen the final cut. He was one of a kind, and he will remain in our hearts forever. My heart goes out to his family, and especially to his daughter — he loved her deeply and spoke of her often with pride and tenderness.' DEADLINE RELATED VIDEO: Born January 26, 1980 in Waco, Texas, French made his onscreen debut as Gavin McDonough in the History Channel limited series Texas Rising (2015), which also stars Bill Paxton, Kris Kristofferson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chad Michael Murray, Crispin Glover, Ray Liotta, Brendan Fraser and more. After playing Ben in a 2020 episode of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead, French shared the screen with Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's Oscar-nominated historical epic Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), playing Agent CJ Robinson. French is survived by his daughter Madison and her mother Melinda Acosta; as well as French's parents Thomas and Evelyn; and his brothers Andy and Danny. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About Ari Aster's 'Eddington' So Far Everything We Know About 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 So Far List Of Hollywood & Media Layoffs From Paramount To Warner Bros Discovery To CNN & More
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Experience The New Gujarati Music Video Mari Laadki By Jignesh Barot
'Killers Of The Flower Moon' Actor Samuel French Dies At 45 After Cancer Battle Samuel French, a rising talent in film and TV, has sadly died at the age of 45 after a quiet but prolonged battle with cancer. He passed away on May 9, leaving behind a legacy that, though brief, deeply moved the industry. The heartbreaking news was confirmed by casting director and close friend Paul Sinacore, who had worked with French on his final role in the upcoming indie drama Towpath. Sinacore called French 'a force onscreen,' praising his powerful, all-in performances. French began acting later in life, debuting in 2015's Texas Rising and later appearing in Fear the Walking Dead. In 2023, he earned widespread acclaim for his role in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, alongside DiCaprio and De Niro. His sudden death has sparked an outpouring of grief across social media. He is survived by his daughter Madison, her mother Melinda Acosta, and his family. 12 views | 42 minutes ago
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Murderbot Trailer: Alexander Skarsgård, David Dastmalchian an Sabrina Wu Starrer Murderbot Official Trailer
'Killers Of The Flower Moon' Actor Samuel French Dies At 45 After Cancer Battle Samuel French, a rising talent in film and TV, has sadly died at the age of 45 after a quiet but prolonged battle with cancer. He passed away on May 9, leaving behind a legacy that, though brief, deeply moved the industry. The heartbreaking news was confirmed by casting director and close friend Paul Sinacore, who had worked with French on his final role in the upcoming indie drama Towpath. Sinacore called French 'a force onscreen,' praising his powerful, all-in performances. French began acting later in life, debuting in 2015's Texas Rising and later appearing in Fear the Walking Dead. In 2023, he earned widespread acclaim for his role in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, alongside DiCaprio and De Niro. His sudden death has sparked an outpouring of grief across social media. He is survived by his daughter Madison, her mother Melinda Acosta, and his family. 12 views | 42 minutes ago
New York Post
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Samuel French, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon' and ‘Fear the Walking Dead' star, dead at 45
Samuel French, a Texas actor who played an FBI agent in Martin Scorsese's 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' has died. He was 45. Director Paul Sinacore confirmed French died Friday in his birthplace of Waco, Texas after a years-long battle with cancer. Sinacore, who directed French in his final performance in the upcoming movie 'Townpath,' posted a tribute to the late star on Instagram. 9 Samuel French in 'Killers of the Flower Moon.' Paramount Pictures 9 Samuel French in a hospital bed in April 2025. samuelfrenchactor/Instagram 'Samuel was a dear friend and an incredible actor,' Sinacore wrote. ''Towpath' wouldn't exist without him, and the incredible intensity he brought to the role of Detective Bernard Crooke set the tone for the entire film.' 'Together we were on an extraordinary journey, giving everything we had to realize a shared creative vision,' Sinacore continued. 'Samuel carried a fire for acting that burned in every frame — unfiltered, fearless, and alive. He gave himself completely to the work, and it showed.' 9 Samuel French at the 'Wildfire: The Legend Of The Cherokee Ghost Horse' premiere in Texas in Nov. 2023. Getty Images for Hannover House 'I am deeply saddened by his loss and only wish he could have seen the final cut,' the filmmaker added. 'He was one of a kind, and he will remain in our hearts forever.' Sinacore also showed love to French's family including his daughter Madison, 12. 'He loved her deeply and spoke of her often with pride and tenderness,' Sinacore wrote. 'His friendship had an unexpectedly profound impact on my life.' 9 Samuel French with his daughter in June 2024. samuelfrenchactor/Instagram 9 Samuel French in a selfie. samuelfrenchactor/Instagram The week of French's death, Sinacore posted a selfie of the pair and Eric Roberts on the set of 'Townpath.' 'For Sam, a dream come true to be in a scene with Eric. After their last take together, Eric acknowledged the raw, truthful, and powerful presence that Sam brought to the scene,' Sinacore wrote. 9 Paul Sinacore, Samuel French and Eric Roberts on the set of 'Townpath.' paulsinacorecasting/Instagram French made his acting debut in the 2015 miniseries 'Texas Rising,' also starring Bill Paxton, Ray Liotta, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Brendan Fraser. He went on to play Ben in an episode of 'Fear the Walking Dead' in 2020 and the titular character in the 2023 thriller 'Joe Haladin: The Case of the Missing Sister.' 9 Samuel French filming 'Fear the Walking Dead.' samuelfrenchactor/Instagram French shared the screen with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro in 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' in which he played FBI Agent CJ Robinson. The film was nominated for ten Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director for Scorsese, 82, and Best Actress for Lily Gladstone. 9 Samuel French and Martin Scorcese on the set of 'Killers of the Flower Moon.' samuelfrenchactor/instagram 9 Samuel French on the set of 'Killers of the Flower Moon.' samuelfrenchactor/Instagram French is also survived by his daughter's mother, Melinda Acosta, his parents, Thomas and Evelyn, and his brothers, Andy and Danny. Sinacore confirmed that French's funeral service will take place Friday, May 16 at First Baptist Church in Valley Mills, Texas.
