Scrapper

*From the organisers (correct at the time of publishing), please see the organiser’s website for the latest details.

2023 (UK) (Comedy Drama)

Starring: Lola Campbell, Alin Uzun, Harris Dickinson

Director: Charlotte Regan

The tricky father-daughter pairing at the centre of Charlotte Regan’s surefooted debut feature pitches a knowing pre-adolescent against an uncertain parent.

Twelve-year-old Georgie (Lola Campbell) is a fast talking grifter who has decided, in the wake of her beloved mother’s death, to face life on her own. Convincing uninterested authorities that she is now living with her uncle “Winston Churchill”, Georgie is effectively now living by herself.

She cleans the house obsessively and carefully crosses the stages of grief off on a list she has pinned on the wall. Stealing and reselling bikes with her best mate Ali (Alin Uzun) brings her an income of sorts, but her sense of control is thrown into chaos with the unexpected arrival of Jason (Harris Dickinson), her long estranged birth father.

Lively, fluid camerawork by Molly Manning Walker chimes with the lovely two-step between Campbell and Dickenson. As plucky as the title suggests.

Despite its sober plot Scrapper is very much a sweet, lighthearted drama/comedy. Quick-fire, witty dialogue delivered to perfection combines with its working class world results in a refreshing, upbeat twist on the traditional British kitchen sink drama.

. A striking debut feature from Charlotte Regan. Scrapper is a charming and genuinely funny family drama with a heart of gold.