Trainspotting
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.
Critics Sentiment
Renton delivers the iconic Choose Life opening monologue
Dawn the baby dies from neglect in squalid conditions
The film drops from Renton's overdose (8.1) to Tommy's decline and baby Dawn's death (6.2-6.9) before surging back with the withdrawal sequence (8.7).
Trainspotting maintains consistently high audience appreciation throughout, with reviewers praising its bold visual style and honest portrayal of addiction. The film peaks with its iconic opening and withdrawal sequences, dips during its most tragic moments involving death and decline, but recovers strongly with its morally complex ending. Critics consistently emphasize the film's ability to be simultaneously entertaining and deeply serious about its subject matter.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 26
Ewan McGregor
Renton
Ewen Bremner
Spud
Jonny Lee Miller
Sick Boy
Kevin McKidd
Tommy
Robert Carlyle
Begbie
Kelly Macdonald
Diane
Peter Mullan
Swanney
James Cosmo
Renton's Father
Eileen Nicholas
Renton's Mother
Susan Vidler
Allison
Pauline Lynch
Lizzy
Shirley Henderson
Gail
Stuart McQuarrie
Gavin
Irvine Welsh
Mikey Forrester
Dale Winton
Game Show Host
Keith Allen
Dealer
Kevin Allen
Andreas
Annie Louise Ross
Gail's Mother
Billy Riddoch
Gail's Father
Fiona Bell
Diane's Mother
Crew
Write a Review
Rate each story beat:
