“I can take care of myself, thanks.”

Georgie is capable. Georgie is resourceful. Georgie is smart. But Georgie is also twelve…and perhaps a bit over her head. The facts of the matter are, well…tragic to say the least. Georgie (played by the extraordinary newcomer Lola Campbell) has recently lost her single mother to some vague illness and has no other family to stay with. But rather than taking her chances in the London foster care system, Georgie has other plans to stay, by herself, in her childhood home. She, with the help of her best friend Ali (Alin Uzun), steals bikes to sell for scraps, makes up a story to her school, social workers, and even Ali’s mother that she is now living with her uncle, Winston Churchill, backed up by some less-than-convincing recordings done by a reluctant store clerk, and makes certain that her mom’s home is just the way she always kept it, down to the arrangement of the pillows on the couch.

This works…for a while, but we all know that this isn’t sustainable, despite Georgie’s impressive determination and stubbornness. And then one day, a man, unknown to both her and Ali hops the back fence of the flat. He strolls in with a bouquet of flowers and sports bleach-blond hair, introducing himself as Georgie’s father, Jason (Harris Dickinson). Needless to say, Georgie is none-too-pleased with this intrusion. He hasn’t been around her whole life and Georgie certainly doesn’t want him around now. But since hearing of the news of her mother’s passing, Jason insists on taking over caring for her, even threatening to call the social workers to expose her situation when she puts up a fight.

Yes, yes, yes...the tragedy and the character dynamics just spell melodrama. But within the first five seconds of the picture, Scrapper lets you know that it is anything but that. Like Georgie, Scrapper is full of spunk, grit, and youthful energy that makes you fall in love with it and the improbability and absurdity of Georgie’s situation. With things like Georgie’s industriousness, relentlessness, and comical persuasiveness, cinematic manifestations of Georgie and Ali’s ridiculous imagination about people, and the fourth-wall-breaking commentary from the social workers, Georgie’s teacher and others, Scrapper is a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. But it also knows how to reel it in with the reality of Georgie’s situation. There is a profound tenderness and sweetness about Scrapper that director Charlotte Regan handles so beautifully, especially as Georgie and Jason’s relationship, though contentious, flourishes. Both are childish in their respective ways and both have a lot of growing up to do, but there comes a kind of understanding when they both seem to realize they are more alike than they’d want to admit.

Scrapper belongs to Campbell. You’d never know that this is her first role in anything ever because of the easiness with which she just absolutely inhabits Georgie. Where a lot of child actors perhaps would falter, Campbell excels and commands the screen in the entire film. It is an absolute joy to watch her on screen. And for Regan’s directorial debut, Scrapper is undoubtedly impressive and displays Regan’s incredibly charming, energetic, and sweet voice as a filmmaker that will make you smile, laugh, and even reluctantly cry.

Scrapper is now available on Blu Ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

Home Video Distributor: Kino Lorber
Available on Blu-ray - November 7, 2023
Screen Formats: 2.39:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio tracks
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

This vibrant and inventive father-daughter comedy follows Georgie (Lola Campbell), a resourceful 12-year-old who secretly lives alone in her flat in a working-class suburb of London following the death of her beloved mum. She makes money stealing bikes with her best friend Ali (Alin Uzun) and keeps the social workers off her back by pretending to live with an uncle. But when her estranged father Jason (Harris Dickinson; Triangle of Sadness, Beach Rats) turns up out of the blue, she’s forced to confront reality. Uninterested in this sudden new parental figure, Georgie is stubbornly resistant to Jason's efforts and they quickly find that they both still have a lot of growing up to do. Dickinson and remarkable newcomer Campbell imbue irresistible charm into this moving and frequently hilarious story of two emotionally tangled people: a grieving kid thrust into adulthood and a father in over his head. Winner of a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, Scrapper is a joyful comedy about family and fresh starts that believes life’s not so much about chasing rainbows as snatching fistfuls in both hands.

Video

Presented in a 2.39:1 the 1080p transfer of Scrapper shows off Molly Manning Walker’s beautiful and pastel-filled photography exceptionally. Detail and clarity are great and the youthful and spunky color-grading are fun and eye-catching to show off the young and child-like-seen world of Scrapper. Everything looks great.

Audio

Though it isn’t a film that necessarily needs a 5.1 surround sound audio track, it nonetheless makes everything in the film sound great. Dialogue, music, ambient noises, and everything else come in clear as day and are nicely mixed in the immersive track.

Supplements:

With a commentary track and the making-of featurette included on the release, the extras included on this charming little film are nothing but a sweet treat to indulge in as you see and hear how this film came to life.

Commentary:

• Audio commentary by director Charlotte Regan

Special Features:

• Making-of Featurette
• Theatrical Trailer

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	Extras
Composite Blu-ray Grade

MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 84 mins
Director: Charlotte Regan
Writer: Charlotte Regan
Cast: Lola Campbell; Alin Uzun; Cary Crankson
Genre: Comedy | Drama
Tagline: A Film by Charlotte Regan
Memorable Movie Quote: "Now that I know you, I can't really NOT know you."
Theatrical Distributor: Kino Lorber
Official Site: https://kinolorber.com/film/scrapper
Release Date: August 25, 2023 (limited)
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: November 7, 2023
Synopsis: This vibrant and inventive father-daughter comedy follows Georgie (Lola Campbell), a resourceful 12-year-old who secretly lives alone in her flat in a working class suburb of London following the death of her beloved mum. She makes money stealing bikes with her best friend Ali (Alin Uzun) and keeps the social workers off her back by pretending to live with an uncle. But when her estranged father Jason (Harris Dickinson; Triangle of Sadness, Beach Rats) turns up out of the blue, she’s forced to confront reality.