Trainspotting
Release date: 1996-02-23
Votes: 10126
Genres: Drama, Crime
Heroin addict Mark Renton stumbles through bad ideas and sobriety attempts with his unreliable friends --Sick Boy, Begbie, Spud and Tommy. He also has an underage girlfriend, Diane, along for the ride. After cleaning up and moving from Edinburgh to London, Mark finds he can't escape the life he left behind as Begbie and Sick Boy come knocking.
Reviews
CinemaSerf
25 years on, and this Danny Boyle effort has lost little of it's authentic, gritty, potency. Set in mid 1990s Edinburgh it follows the antics of a disparate group of friends whose only goals in life are to survive, maybe get laid, and to take each day as it comes... "Begbie" (Robert Carlyle) is their psychopathically charged leader, who thinks nothing of smashing a glass in someone's face; "Spud" (Ewan Bremner) and "Sick Boy" (Jonny Lee Miller) just lurch from one day to the next looking for a fix; "Tommy" (Kevin McKidd) at least tries to live with some semblance of normality - he has a steady girlfriend "Diana" (Kelly Macdonald) and finally Ewan McGregor ("Renton"), whom along with his worldly, and in their way loving, parents, might just see a way of escaping from this relentless misery... What helps this stand out is the fact that director Boyle misses few opportunities to depict the grim depravity in which these people live. Its graphic, violent, distressing certainly, but it is also funny and eminently human - there is a definite sense of "there but for the grace of God" about many of the scenarios and they tugs at the heart strings whilst simultaneously making you cower and wince in disgust or sometimes even fear. The efforts from the talent in indistinguishably good - especially Bremner and JLM whose roles are not so significant as Messrs Carlyle & McGregor's, but who add a depth and richness to what could otherwise just prove to be a rather downbeat tale of hopelessness and emptiness. For once, the gratuitous (for, that it is) use of good old Anglo-Saxon expletives doesn't not appear merely to compensate for a lack of script-writing skills; here the language and violence add significantly to the plausibility of the whole thing - it's ghastly, yet compelling to watch and watch again. It works well again on a big screen, even though the cinematography doesn't really require anything to present scale or grandness, and the soundtrack adds a deliciously contemporaneous dollop of nostalgia, too. Not for the fainthearted, but - in my view - the finest work from all concerned that stands the test of time very well.
r96sk
Not the most enthralling, but <em>'Trainspotting'</em> does have plenty to say - and boy does it portray it! There are particularly strong performances from Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner and Robert Carlyle. I didn't like watching the bunch of characters given how severely unlikeable they are. Of course, that is very much the intention so it's a credit to the actors and the filmmakers at how convincing it all is. The humour is weaker than expected, perhaps due to the horrors of the plot taking centre stage. Their struggles are showed in a heavy manner, to the point I did feel uncomfortable seeing them <em>do their thing</em>. I do feel post-watch that I'm missing something from it in regards to being able to appreciate it higher, I can't shake that feeling. That's probably the only negative at nailing the realness so much, you miss out on other bits to enjoy about a film; or at least to me. Cool to see this on the big screen, mind. I think it's the first movie I've ever watched at the cinema that isn't a contemporary release. I evidently hadn't seen this before so thought what better way to watch it for the opening time! Now for the sequel (albeit back in the doldrums of home release!😁).
Movie Recommendation
T2 Trainspotting2017-01-27After 20 years abroad, Mark Renton returns to Scotland and reunites with his old friends Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie.More...
The Usual Suspects1995-07-19Held in an L.A. interrogation room, Verbal Kint attempts to convince the feds that a mythic crime lord, Keyser Soze, not only exists, but was also responsible for drawing him and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro harbor – leaving few survivors. Verbal lures his interrogators with an incredible story of the crime lord's almost supernatural prowess.More...
Requiem for a Dream2000-10-06The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island residents are shattered when their addictions run deep.More...
Shallow Grave1994-12-22When David, Juliet, and Alex find their new roommate dead with a large sum of money, they agree to hide the body and keep the cash. However, this newfound fortune gradually corrodes their friendship.More...
Three Men and a Leg1997-12-27Friends Aldo, Giovanni, and Giacomo cross Italy from north to south for Giacomo's wedding: the father of the bride, a despotic magnate who is both their boss and father-in-law—since Aldo and Giovanni have also married into the family not for love but for money, a fate now awaiting Giacomo—has entrusted them with a priceless piece of modern art, one that looks just like a rather unremarkable wooden leg.More...
Christiane F.1981-04-02This movie portrays the drug scene in Berlin in the 70s, following tape recordings of Christiane F. 14 years old Christiane lives with her mother and little sister in a typical multi-storey apartment building in Berlin. She's fascinated by the 'Sound', a new disco with most modern equipment. Although she's legally too young, she asks a friend to take her. There she meets Detlef, who's in a clique where everybody's on drugs. Step by step she gets drawn deeper into the scene.More...
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas1998-05-22Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo drive a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. As their consumption of drugs increases at an alarming rate, the stoned duo trash their hotel room and fear legal repercussions. Duke begins to drive back to L.A., but after an odd run-in with a cop, he returns to Sin City and continues his wild drug binge.More...
Pulp Fiction1994-09-10A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time.More...
Life Is Beautiful1997-12-20A touching story of an Italian book seller of Jewish ancestry who lives in his own little fairy tale. His creative and happy life would come to an abrupt halt when his entire family is deported to a concentration camp during World War II. While locked up he tries to convince his son that the whole thing is just a game.More...
Heavenly Creatures1994-09-12Precocious teenager Juliet moves to New Zealand with her family and soon befriends the quiet, brooding Pauline through their shared love of fantasy and literature. This friendship gradually develops into an intense and obsessive bond.More...
Donnie Darko2001-01-19After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.More...
The Silence of the Lambs1991-02-14Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.More...
The Shawshank Redemption1994-09-23Imprisoned in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.More...
A Clockwork Orange1971-10-28In a near-future Britain, young Alexander DeLarge and his pals get their kicks beating and raping anyone they please. When not destroying the lives of others, Alex swoons to the music of Beethoven. The state, eager to crack down on juvenile crime, gives an incarcerated Alex the option to undergo an invasive procedure that'll rob him of all personal agency. In a time when conscience is a commodity, can Alex change his tune?More...
The Breakfast Club1985-02-15Five high school students from different walks of life endure a Saturday detention under a power-hungry principal. The disparate group includes rebel John, princess Claire, outcast Allison, brainy Brian and Andrew, the jock. Each has a chance to tell his or her story, making the others see them a little differently -- and when the day ends, they question whether school will ever be the same.More...
Taxi Driver1976-02-09Suffering from insomnia, disturbed loner Travis Bickle takes a job as a New York City cabbie, haunting the streets nightly, growing increasingly detached from reality as he dreams of cleaning up the filthy city.More...
Fargo1996-03-08Jerry, a small-town Minnesota car salesman is bursting at the seams with debt... but he's got a plan. He's going to hire two thugs to kidnap his wife in a scheme to collect a hefty ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. It's going to be a snap and nobody's going to get hurt... until people start dying. Enter Police Chief Marge, a coffee-drinking, parka-wearing - and extremely pregnant - investigator who'll stop at nothing to get her man. And if you think her small-time investigative skills will give the crooks a run for their ransom... you betcha!More...
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest1975-11-19A petty criminal fakes insanity to serve his sentence in a mental ward rather than prison. He soon finds himself as a leader to the other patients—and an enemy to the cruel, domineering nurse who runs the ward.More...
V for Vendetta2006-02-23In a world in which Great Britain has become a fascist state, a masked vigilante known only as “V” conducts guerrilla warfare against the oppressive British government. When V rescues a young woman from the secret police, he finds in her an ally with whom he can continue his fight to free the people of Britain.More...
127 Hours2010-11-12The true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah.More...
Similar Movies
Out of Blue
2019-03-22Mike Hoolihan is an unconventional New Orleans cop investigating the murder of renowned astrophysicist Jennifer Rockwell, a black hole expert found shot to death in her observatory. As Mike tumbles down the rabbit hole of the disturbing, labyrinthine case, she finds herself grappling with increasingly existential questions of quantum mechanics, parallel universes, and exploding stars. The hunt for a killer draws a detective into an even larger mystery: the nature of the universe itself.Ponniyin Selvan: Part...
2023-04-28968 AD. The Pandyan assassins gather once again to destroy the Chola dynasty. Now the mighty Chola princes must fight the Pandyas, the Rashtrakutas and other Chola enemies who have joined forces. Also, at play are the rumours of Ponniyin Selvan’s death at sea, the powerful Pazhuvettarayar’s betrayal, and the tragic destiny of Aditha Karikalan, whose heart was long lost to the vengeful Nandini.Something the Lord Ma...
2004-05-30A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas.Deal of the Century
1983-11-04Arms dealers from several companies vie to sell the most expensive and highest tech weapons to a South American dictator. There are complications; understanding the exact nature of how 'gifts' are used to grease the wheels of a sale, a religious conversion from one of the salesman and a romance that begins to grow between two competitors.Goodnight, Mister Tom...
1998-10-25A shy and quiet World War II evacuee is housed by a disgruntled old man, and they soon develop a close bond.The Home of Dark Butt...
2008-01-11Haunted by his traumatic past and cautious about the prospects of an uncertain future, a fourteen year old boy named Juhani winds up in an isolated boys' home known as The Island. Juhani has been shuttled between foster homes and temporary families for the past six years, leaving any prospect of stability in his life a faded dream. When Juhani winds up in a remote shelter for troubled youth known as The Island, he has little idea of how ruthless superintendent Olavi Harjula can truly be.Love's Long Journey
2005-12-03Missie's surprise pregnancy sets her on a new course that is both thrilling and terrifying. After all the planning and dreaming, she and her husband Willie are headed west in a covered wagon, leaving behind the prairie home of Missie's parents. Now, caught between the excitement of the new adventure and the pain of not knowing when she'll see her family again, Missie copes with the challenges, and cherishes the rewards, of her new homestead.Panic
2000-12-01Alex is going through a midlife crisis and it has become a very difficult time for him. His marriage is struggling, he's worried about his son, and his job of killing people for his family has become the most stressful part of his life. He seeks the help of a therapist and meets a woman in the waiting room that he connects with.Love's Enduring Promi...
2004-11-20In the 1800s frontier, Missie Davis is a bright and beautiful schoolteacher whose love for the prairie is matched only by her passion for books. When Missie encounters Grant, a handsome New England railroad executive, she feels as though she's met a hero from one of her novels.Clockers
1995-09-15Strike is a young city drug pusher under the tutelage of drug lord Rodney Little. When a night manager at a fast-food restaurant is found with four bullets in his body, Strike’s older brother turns himself in as the killer. Detective Rocco Klein doesn’t buy the story, however, setting out to find the truth, and it seems that all the fingers point toward Strike & Rodney.The Sealed Room
1909-09-02The Count sets out to make a private room for him and his Countess, built in such a way no one can see, hear, and most importantly, disturb them. But unbeknownst to the Count, his wife has set her eyes on the court minstrel. Based on Edgar Allan Poe's “The Cask of Amontillado” and Honoré de Balzac's “La Grande Breteche”.Deep Cover
1992-04-15Black police officer Russell Stevens applies for a special anti-drug squad which targets the highest boss of cocaine delivery to LA—the Colombian foreign minister's nephew. Russell works his way up from the bottom undercover, until he reaches the boss.The Journey of Herman...
2013-06-29Herman Stone travels home for what he believes is a brief uneventful holiday, however due to some family circumstances his journey takes a unexpected path.Calling Card
2025-03-29During the funeral of their close friend, Mason and Keira learn to cope with the weight of grief while trying to still find their friend in life.Lantana
2025-03-10Seeking connection after a yearlong research project, Casey travels to the town of a man she had met at university to see if they can pick up where they left off. Upon arriving at her lodging, she is greeted by some strange characters, staying in a room that becomes increasingly isolating as surreal interactions fragment Casey’s perception of reality. Will she realise she’s not as young as she thinks she is?The Adventures of Bul...
1967-03-08To restore his family's lost wealth, a young Boston lad stows away on a ship bound for the California Gold Rush. When their very proper butler gives chase, all roads lead to nonstop adventure, wild and woolly characters, and a lucky punch that leads to a bonanza of belly laughs!Extreme Prejudice
1987-04-24Lean, mean Texas Ranger Jack Benteen locks horns with a former friend, Cash Bailey, now a ruthless drug kingpin. Though they're on opposite sides of the law, they share a love interest in the sensual Sarita. When a crew of rogue soldiers descends upon the border town for an off-the-books mission, all roads lead to a bloody, to-the-death showdown, as loyalties shift and the lines between good and evil are blurred.Rush
1991-12-22Undercover cop Jim Raynor is a seasoned veteran. His partner, Kristen Cates, is lacking in experience, but he thinks she's tough enough to work his next case with him: a deep cover assignment to bring down the notoriously hard-to-capture drug lord Gaines. While their relationship turns romantic during the assignment, they also turn into junkies, and will have to battle their own addictions if they want to bring down Gaines once and for all.Never Die Alone
2004-03-26A drug kingpin's rise and tragic fall is witnessed vicariously by a reporter who uses the criminal's diary as the basis for his new book.