Scrapper dir. Charlotte Regan (Grand Jury World Dramatic Winner)

 by Morgan Stone, Zac Bentz, and Sienna Axe

Morgan: I read a Letterboxd review that describes this film as the intersection between Little Miss Sunshine and The Florida Project, and I’m not sure I could agree more! Scrapper follows the story of Georgie, a headstrong young girl who recently lost her mother and has been trying to take care of herself without adult supervision. When her estranged father, Jason, shows up out of the blue, she resists getting to know him with fervor, insisting she can manage on her own. Over the course of the film, and several talking spiders later, Jason and Georgie realize they are more alike than not, and form a special bond. 

This film was funny, interesting, and most importantly, it has heart. The film had its moments of whimsy that really carried it far. I especially liked the interview sections in which people who knew Georgie (such as the bright pink group of mean girls or the drab and gray social workers) talked about her, trying to get a grasp on her personality. There were also recurring talking spiders (as mentioned previously) that Georgie and her friend Ali have named around the house. My favorite bit from the movie, however, was the brief cameo that the director’s dog made, as Regan’s dog is a Schnauzer, which is a dog breed that I have a deep love of. 

The pacing of the film dragged a little bit towards the middle, but what kept it going was the chemistry between the three leads: Georgie played by Lola Campbell, Jason played by Harris Dickinson, and Ali played by Alin Uzun. Each set of characters paired off had their own unique dynamic, and their group dynamic was even great. Especially Campbell and Dickinson had outstanding performances, with them expertly showing their developing relationship. Ultimately this was a very sweet film that was funny and made me happy. For a laugh and a bit of heart, I recommend checking out Scrapper whenever it’s available in theaters (or on streaming).

Zac: This film is so special :) Personally, I've always dreamed of experiencing Sundance in any form, and this being the first narrative feature I got to see as part of the festival made it a particularly special watch. Its star power lies in a predictably phenomenal performance by Harris Dickinson, who's had an incredible year (I really need to go rent Triangle of Sadness) but where this film really shone for me was in Lola Campbell's standout turn as Georgie. I know a lot of folks tend to be mixed-leaning-cynical on child performances, but as someone who believes they have the potential to be the most honest performers out there, I thought Campbell's understated and deadpan performance was one of the most impactful things I've seen this year. Restrained in her delivery but explosive in her emotional impact, she knows exactly what she's doing and she's doing it SO well.

It also looks stunning. Director Charlotte Regan and cinematographer Molly Manning Walker (who's work includes music videos for everyone from FKA Twigs to A$AP Rocky to Wolf Alice) drench Essex in warm, inviting pastels and a perpetual early-morning glow, and the Wes Anderson-esque (I'm sorry) inserts of peripheral side characters make the film's wondrous world feel lived-in without feeling too derivative. Ultimately, despite some pacing issues during the second act, this was one of my favorite things I saw at the festival. Long live Charlotte Regan.

Sienna: I see the Scrapper vision! I think I'm a little spoiled for absent-father stories after the miracles that were Boy (2010) and Aftersun (the latter of which is, to be fair, a very different kind of movie), but I'm more than happy to see Scrapper join their ranks. Despite being a story about a child with a dead mother, it's such a fun movie all around—so colorful and delightful to watch. And as the other two have said, Lola Campbell really is spectacularly cast. The character she and Regan have created in Georgie feels so grounded despite her (for lack of a better term) quirked-up lifestyle. She feels like such a real kid: someone I could've gone to elementary school with, not someone invented by an adult for a movie. Her and Dickinson's performances give this film a lot to work with, and for the most part, it uses them well.

That said: I feel like it's missing something. Maybe it's that there are one or two (spoilery) plot points about Georgie's mother that take it out of the realm of reality for me. Maybe it's that it feels like Regan's directorial style is just about to click into place. I honestly couldn't tell you! But I do know that for its faults, I still can't get the scene of Campbell and Dickinson imitating two strangers at the train station out of my head. And for me, that balances out everything else! Very excited to see where...well, pretty much everyone involved goes from here. I know I'll be seated.