Latest news with #TriangleofSadness'
CairoScene
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Review: ‘Urchin' Is A Familiar Story Elevated by a Star-Making Turn
Review: 'Urchin' Is A Familiar Story Elevated by a Star-Making Turn Harris Dickinson, best known for 'Triangle of Sadness' and 'Babygirl', makes an impressive debut as a writer-director with Urchin. The film is a compassionate and darkly humorous portrait of homelessness. It evokes memories of Mike Leigh's 'Naked', though it lacks that film's philosophical depth. That said, Frank Dillane delivers what will surely be a breakout, star-making performance as Mike. He plays a junkie who's spent the last five years living on the streets. His only real connection is Nathan, a fellow drifter played by Dickinson himself in a cameo. Egyptian actor Amr Waked rounds out the cast as Mike's employer. At its core, Urchin is a reflection on the brutal cycle of substance abuse. The cycle of abuse is a brutal spiral. It starts with desperation. You steal, you mug, you hurt people just to get some cash so you can guarantee your next hit. Sooner or later, you're caught. Jail gives you a break. You go through withdrawal symptoms. Get clean again. You meet someone who mistakenly thinks they can save you. And for a while, you believe you can be a better person. You try to do better. You go to meetings, listen to self-help books, apply for jobs, and clean yourself up. Someone gives you a shot. And before you know it. You're working. Earning. Living almost like everyone else. But all it takes is one bad day. One mistake. One moment of weakness. Suddenly, it's all gone. You're back on the streets. You shove a man who won't stop staring. You scream at a car that won't stop honking. You lose most of the fist fights you get yourself into and end up curled up in a doorway stinking of piss and blood. People pass. They glance, then look away. You don't feel human anymore. You feel like a stain on the sidewalk. That feeling is unbearable. All you want is one hit to numb it all out. Just one more hit. This might all sound a bit too bleak for a film, but Harris Dickinson isn't out to depress the viewer. He balances the darkness with sharp dialogue, unexpected humour, and stylised visuals that feel reminiscent of Trainspotting. Admittedly, part of me felt like I'd seen this kind of film before. Maybe even better versions of it. But the truth is, I'm glad Urchin exists. If for nothing else, then for the lead performance. Frank Dillane is magnetic. He reminds me of a young Johnny Depp. His quirky facial expressions, awkward glances, and effortless charisma allow him to land a laugh with nothing more than a look. There's one scene that really showcases his talent. Mike comes face to face with the man he once mugged. Someone who was only trying to help him. The man doesn't yell or accuse. Instead, he calmly says it wasn't the mugging that broke him. It was going home bruised, and seeing the fear in his daughter's eyes. That moment crushes Mike. And Dillane lets us feel every bit of it. In a matter of seconds, he moves from funny to vulnerable to utterly heartbroken. It's a remarkable feat. One that never feels performed; it feels lived in. Urchin doesn't break new ground. It doesn't reinvent the genre. But it does feel very honest, and Harris Dickinson shows real promise as a filmmaker. He finds moments of humour and warmth in the darkest places. And with Frank Dillane at the centre, the film becomes more than just another film about addiction. Urchin asks us to care, even when it's easier to turn away.
Tatler Asia
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
8 Shows and movies like ‘The White Lotus' to watch while waiting for season four
2. 'The Perfect Couple' (2024) Meet the Winburys of high-society Nantucket—a family so rich that, as their staff puts it, 'they could kill someone and get away with it.' This theory is tested when a body is discovered on their beachfront estate on the morning of their son's wedding. As secrets unravel and tensions boil over, the Winburys' carefully curated image begins to crumble. Based on Elin Hilderbrand's bestselling novel, this Netflix series stars Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber, alongside familiar faces from The White Lotus: Meghann Fahy (Daphne in season two) steals the scene as the maid of honour, while Sam Nivola (Lochlan in season three) plays the groom's younger brother. The Perfect Couple has reportedly been renewed for a second season, based on another Hilderbrand novel, and with a new family at its centre. 3. 'Triangle of Sadness' (2022) What happens when the social hierarchy is suddenly flipped upside down? In this Palme d'Or winner, a luxury cruise ship sinks, leaving VIP guests and crew members stranded on a remote island. On the ship, the staff are trained to cater to every whim—smiling through ridiculous demands, including serving fine dining mid-storm and cleaning up after violently ill guests. But on the island, the power dynamics turn upside down. A toilet manager, played by Filipino actress Dolly de Leon, discovers the power in having the survival skills to keep everyone else fed and alive. The rich are left to grapple with their harsh new reality, and the rest of the crew bend to the will of their new self-declared captain. Also read: Tatler Review: Ruben Östlund's 'Triangle of Sadness' 4. 'Parasite' (2019) The brilliance of this Oscar-winning dark comedy begins with its title. Who—or what—is the real parasite? Is it the working-class family scheming their way into a wealthy home, the elite exploiting invisible labour or the system that sustains inequality? Like The White Lotus, Parasite offers a sharp critique of the status quo, though set in a distinctly Korean context where social hierarchies are built into the literal architecture. As the tension between classes grows unbearable, it erupts into a devastating climax. Also read: From Seoul to Cannes: How Korean movies conquered the world's most prestigious film festivals 5. 'Nine Perfect Strangers' (2021) At a luxury wellness resort tucked deep in a bamboo forest, nine guests check in for what promises to be a life-changing retreat. But under the watchful eye of the mysterious host played by Nicole Kidman, the healing rituals turn from unconventional to downright disturbing. Based on Liane Moriarty's bestselling novel, this Hulu series shares The White Lotus' fascination with exposing the secrets and delusions of the privileged, but swaps satire for a trippier, more psychological ride. Season two premieres on May 21, bringing back Kidman's character and taking the healing journey from sunny California to the snowy Austrian Alps. It features a new cast including Henry Golding, Annie Murphy, and Dolly de Leon, as well as Murray Bartlett, who plays resort manager Armond on The White Lotus season one. 6. 'Knives Out' (2019) With a star-studded cast led by Daniel Craig, this sleek whodunit begins with the suspicious death of a patriarch in his opulent mansion. As investigators dig deeper, layers of deceit, greed, and resentment emerge, with every family member—and even the household staff—becoming suspects. Knives Out and its sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , explores themes like wealth inequality, influence and privilege, without pushing its agenda too hard. It may be class satire, but at its core it is still just a good old-fashioned murder mystery. 7. 'Saint X' (2023) When a young woman is found dead at a luxury Caribbean resort, her death is ruled an accident. Years later, her sister remains unconvinced. Based on Alexis Schaitkin's bestselling novel, Saint X shifts between timelines to explore how privilege and prejudice obscure the truth. Though less satirical than The White Lotus , the psychological drama similarly examines what money and paradise cannot protect against. 8. 'Succession' (2018-2023) There may be fewer island resorts on Succession than The White Lotus , but this Emmy-sweeping HBO series is peak rich-people-gone-mad TV. Also read: Tatler Takes: What Did Our Friends Think of 'Succession'? Behind the scenes of the Roy family's media empire, the next generation wages a brutal battle for the throne as their patriarch weighs the company's future. Think emotional warfare and billion-dollar betrayals playing out in summer mansions and skyscraper boardrooms, on private jets and yachts. For the Roys, enjoying their the good life isn't enough—the only thing that matters is clawing their way to the very top.
