Trainspotting Reviews | RateItAll

Trainspotting

1996 British black comedy-drama film directed by Danny Boyle and starring Ewan McGregor Website

Approval Rate: 76%

76%Approval ratio

Reviews 30

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  • by

    genghisthehun

    Sat Jun 18 2011

    Lemme see here. This is a flick about heroin addicts in Scotland. Sound interesting? Well, it's not.

  • by

    jontheman

    Tue Dec 07 2004

    A daunting tale of drug-induced decadence and how the lead character Renton and a few of his friends effectively abandon the crushing tedium of their everyday poverty-stricken lives and head into a downward spiral of addiction with some terrifying (and vividly portrayed) consequences. Robert Carlyle and Ewan McGregor are both superb actors and no less so in this film. Excellent soundtrack too, I listen to it all the time, includes Iggy Pop's Lust for life and Underworld's classic Born Slippy (which if you listen to long enough and loud enough you'll feel like you're on drugs!).

  • by

    dicky_wadsworth

    Sun Mar 28 2004

    Great movie, but an even greater sound track.

  • by

    orwellan

    Wed Dec 03 2003

    'It's such a perfect day, I'm glad I spent it with you!' I very darkly humoured look at heroin addiction in Edinburgh. Sharp, wittly, caustic and full on intelligent social commentary. THE film which propelled Ewan McGregor towards Hollywood stardom. Robert Carlyle gives his best performance I've seen to date as the dysfunctional alcoholic Begbie. If you liked this try watching Shallow Grave. Not quite as good but still has Danny Bolye's tar black sense of humour.

  • by

    betty_boop

    Sat Aug 09 2003

    a great dramatic film starring some great british actors iv got the dvd and have watched iot loads of times and never got sick of it. if you like this film read junk by melvin burgess, it portrays all the difficulties of being a heroin addict as well as the pleasures you can see the donward spiral leading to being a total addict and going into rehab. similar to trainspotting.

  • by

    psycho_mom

    Sat Nov 16 2002

    I was amazed at how funny and disturbing this movie was. It is one of the best movies I have ever seen, for the message it sends. For those that believe it glorifies drug use, you are CRAZY. I showed this movie to my kids in the effort to give them the best anti-drug message (apart from Requiem for a Dream) they will ever see. Yes, drugs feel good and we shouldn't shy away from telling our kids this or they will not trust what we tell them. The message is that the costs of those "good feelings" are not worth it, not at all. I was also amazed at what we in America consider to be impovershed, our standards are quite high compared to Scotland! HUD housing in America would be considered luxurious there.

  • by

    daniela

    Wed Jun 13 2001

    This was a great movie about heroine addiction. I understand that the book is not an anti-heroine book or a pro-heroine book, but Boyle did an excellent job of portraying the realities of the addiction and the consequences of such. I thought it was an awesome movie and I would recommend everyone to watch...except maybe those with a weak stomach. If you don't mind a few needles and a raunchy toilet scene, you'll be fine.

  • by

    heidiwood78

    Thu Feb 15 2001

    to me this movie is not even worth one star

  • by

    teaseress

    Thu Feb 01 2001

    I still can't believe over in America they had to have subtitles for this film. If you think that was a heavy Scottish accent in the film, you haven't heard my grandad! Even I can't understand him! Right, back to the film. The issue in the film was very contraversial when it was first released and was seen as glamourising drug use. I have never heard so much crap in my entire life! They obviously didn't watch the film. Its very daunting, can be humourous and acted out very well. It portrays the depression of parts of society up in Scotland which also can be reflected to anywhere in the modern world. Outstanding.

  • by

    daddy093

    Mon Jan 15 2001

    Wow! For a twisted movie this one is really, really good. It covered many socio-topics and portrayed the cast almost magically. By the end of the film I was exhausted, having seen the lives of the people grow or die. The bathroom scene and swimming in the toilet dream will forever be burned in my mind.

  • by

    crewc4b8

    Tue Jan 09 2001

    This movie really puts its finger on the pulse of the drug scene. The cinematography is awesome. One of the best soundtracks to come out in years.

  • by

    legz629b

    Tue Jan 09 2001

    This movie was very deranged, but I must admit the realities that a user perceives were surreal. One example of this is when the guy pictured himself in a toilet of crap. I would only recommend this movie to people I knew had a strong sense of what was real and imaginary.

  • by

    mik919003

    Mon Jan 08 2001

    I like this movie because it has a realistic plot with an optimistic ending. It makes you look at the world in a different way and eases your mindframe. It's a must see, even if it is a little bit graphic and violent.

  • by

    mr_sping

    Mon Jan 08 2001

    This movie made drugs seem very unglamorous which is a positive example to set.The acting is awesome. Ewan McGregor is wonderful.

  • by

    emmez78

    Fri Dec 22 2000

    It's pretty disgusting but very good. It showed the dark side but it wasn't too much, and it wasn't like cheesy drug use movie. A good blend of everything.

  • by

    toobs81

    Sat Dec 16 2000

    This movie is innovative and imaginative. It brings together an excellent story with a visionary artistic side. It's entertaining and well paced.

  • by

    rahimamir

    Thu Dec 14 2000

    I hated this British drama. It only glorified drug use and stupidity. The movie is highly overrated and a waste of time to watch.

  • by

    corboyusa

    Fri Nov 03 2000

    This foreign film was great because it was so unconventional in Hollywood's standard, monotonous flow of films. The film dealt with hard issues and the characters had unique voices.

  • by

    donquixote

    Wed Oct 11 2000

    A fun, yet insightful trip into a world most of us will never encounter. Though the lives of these people seem so foreign, the moral and ethical questions they face are the same. We also see how friendships are held together and torn apart-need and greed.

  • by

    pooroldedgarde_rby

    Thu Sep 14 2000

    I really enjoyed Trainspotting in fact I saw it twice in the span of about 10 days. I thought it did a great job of portraying a sense of emotion that you could feel in scene after scene. For instance it was like one of those films where you see everyone smoking cigarettes and something about the way they do it or the looks of pleasure on their faces or whatever but you're sitting there thinking man I could go for a cigarette right about now and I don't even smoke! Trainspotting was kind of like that with the heroin scenes, not that I was thinking man I gotta score some heroin but in that they portrayed so vividly the experience that somehow you could relate. Of course having never tried heroin I can't really say how accurate that assessment is but I thought it was very expressive and very poignant.

  • by

    mrez10212et

    Sat Aug 26 2000

    My favorite movie! I can never get tired of watching this. Ewan McGregor is brilliant in this funny, but depressing film. Danny Boyle is a genuis!

  • by

    bigg8124uk

    Tue Jul 04 2000

    very good, but I still cannot bring myself to watch the toilet scene, or where Ewan McGregor sticks needles into his arm

  • by

    rebe7975om

    Thu Jun 29 2000

    Uplifting in a dark sort of way.

  • by

    ruby9916

    Thu Jun 22 2000

    I'm tired of supposed "cutting edge" movies that just recycle the same pessimistic garbage about down-and-out junkie types. Ugh, let's move on people.

  • by

    alicat

    Wed Jun 21 2000

    Irvin Welsh is so crazy. He wrote Trainspotting and other crazy books. He has a lot of great short stories. Trainspotting makes more and more sense the more you watch it. It is a crazy weird movie though.

  • by

    munson

    Wed May 03 2000

    Disturbing at times, but in the end quite uplifting.

  • by

    adea6178du

    Tue Apr 25 2000

    It was the way a drug fill needed to be made. Showing what drugs can do to a person.

  • by

    shafty

    Wed Jan 19 2000

    Decent movie, but the prublem, for this American, with the movie is that I could not understand the heavy accents sometimes. They spoke really fast and with a thick Scotish glaze and I think I missed some of the humor and wit because of that.

  • by

    elsi729om

    Tue Jan 18 2000

    I loved this movie. It was a fair and insightful look into the very complicated issue of the death penalty.

  • by

    wiggum

    Sun Jan 16 2000

    Hilarious movie - extremely well done. My only complaint is that I sometimes had trouble understanding what they were saying (although it's probably my own problem - the same thing happened with "The Full Monty").