Funniest thing about Trainspotting is that when it came out it was criticised by some in the media for glamourising heroin use. I can't think of a less glamorous lifestyle than the one the characters in this live. It's a nightmare. I'd rather live in Hellraiser world.

The thing with Tommy was that he had HIV, meaning he had very little natural immunity left, so the toxoplasmosis hit him hard, which is why he got so sever effects from it.

The Trainspotting poster was a fixture on basically every students wall when I was at University in 1996, and the soundtrack is phenomenal.

This is the film that helped me realise that my circle of friends were 'not my friends' I cut my ties, cleaned my act up and got a corporate job. No regrets at all. Edit: I liked your discussion at the end, there's no real hero's in the film, the friendships are parasitic and unhealthy, it's a difficult film to watch, made bearable by a fantastic soundtrack which I still have to this day.

"They're taking the junkies to Isengard" may be the funniest thing I've heard all week.

Please watch T2. The way they find away to bring the characters back and explore them more as humans was amazing.

Little bit of trivia: Kelly MacDonald (Diane) and Shirley Henderson (Gail, Spud's girlfriend) both later played ghosts in the Harry Potter franchise (Helena Ravenclaw and Moaning Myrtle). Also, Renton's dad played Jeor Mormont in GoT.

It’s brutal. It’s savage. It’s unrelentlessy horrific. But it’s 100% real. This is what life is like for millions of people throughout the world. Danny Boyle interprets Irvine Welch’s book so perfectly. Light hearted in places, just enough to suck you in and care about he characters. Perfectly paced, music is incredible, all actors are genius. This is what life was and is like at the sharp end of a society and a government that simply forgets the most vulnerable people. It’s real. It’s all too real.

Just hit 3 years heroin free back in April!

As an ex-addict, the strongest line for me is: “But he’s a mate, so what can you do?” That mentality is so intrinsic; borderline sacred. And it’s also the thing that keeps people going back, more often than not. It took absolutely everything to break that sentiment. Because when you are shit, genuine shit, the shit people around you are the only ones who you feel will accept you.

"I haven't felt this good since Archie Gemmill sored against Holland in 1978".....a veritable iconic moment in Scottish history.

For anyone of a certain age in the UK/Ireland I think those opening bars of Born Slippy transport us right back to the mid 90s like nothing else. This film was huge for us at time.

My best friend had the chance to watch it after winning a premiere ticket, and when I told her I couldn't wait to go myself, she told me very seriously that I should wait. I listened to her because we were really close and I trusted her. She was right. Because I was weeks away from giving birth at the time and she knew how traumatic the baby scene was. I miss her so much.

'No he's from Rome' George a true man of culture, he's always lucius vorenus to me

As a former addict- albeit from a different substance- this movie is weirdly accurate. The guilt haunting you when you finally sober up. Your addict friends dragging you back in. Real life never being as good, and it sucks and is painful and awful. It sucks. It's really hard to get out of that life. You have to reinvent your identity.

One detail that the movie didn't include from the book that I always thought was really interesting was that at some point Renton reflects on how he and Sickboy started telling Begbie he was a scary badass since they were little kids but they did it as a joke because Begbie was the total opposite to that, but they kept jokingly telling him that for so many years that he came to believe it and grew up to actually be a scary dude, so Renton and Sickboy are partially responsible for Begbie being terrible.

Sick Boy losing his child and completely changing for the worst might be the thing that hit me the hardest in this movie. Tommy's story might top it on a second thought though! So tough to watch people spiral out of control and into suffering.

Trainspotting 2 is fantastic in that it's completely its own creature, a true evolution of the characters (to the extent that they're able to evolve), and great at toying with soothing your nostalgia, only to do so (or not) at its own whim.

I remember seeing this back when it came out and everyone was talking about it. I saw it and turned to my friend and said: that is the most horrifying depiction of heroin addiction I have ever seen. However, Darren Aronofsky manages to outdo it with easily one of the most disturbing and depressing films ever - Requiem for a Dream.

As a scotmans "they are taking the junkies to isanguard" is top tier craic.

I was in my early 20s in the UK when this film came out. I can't overestimate how big it was. The soundtrack featured some of the biggest bands of the time and I think everyone under 30 had it. (I still have, on CD and vinyl) The film felt like it was ours and really part of the zeitgeist. The poster was on every bedroom wall. Try watching Shallow Grave for another early Danny Boyle/Ewan McGregor collaboration.

They really need to show that Spud scene with the sheets in schools as an anti-drug message.

*Simone:* "It's so cute when the baby rolled into view." *Me:* "Oh no." *Simone:* "I need this soundtrack!" *Me:* "Hell yes!" Unironically, this, Snatch and Fight club were the soundtrack of my time at uni and probably the three most important film soundtracks of the late 90's. If you liked the cinematography on this, and Snatch style mult-layer crime films, check out his previous film "Shallow Grave." It's a banger. If you want more beak british indie, check out Dead Man's Shoes.

You should definitely do the sequel. And just to put a different slant on it the worst toilet in Scotland was done using chocolate, apparently it smelled quite nice in there.

This and Requiem for a Dream scared me away from hard drugs in a way like no other. Absolutely terrifying, an amazing movie.

The Scottish tourist board said, "Thank you for making Scotland look good".😂😂😂

What I love about Trainspotting is something you touched on at the end; the mood of the movie throughout kind of mirrors the feel of addiction. It starts off lighthearted, energetic, breezy, aesthetic, there’s hints of something darker lurking beneath but you’re so wrapped up in the moment that you don’t notice. Then you hit rock bottom. A child’s death’s on your hands, a friend’s death is on your hands, you realise how desperately the walls are closing in and how much you need to escape that life. But its claws are in you and it won’t let go easy. Addiction comes into your life with a smile and takes everything away, and the escape route seems like the worst route available to you. In the end Renton gets away with the money, but he sounds manic as he describes how he’s going to be just like us; it goes back to the starting monologue, but it’s different now. Born Slippy plays with its energetic, yet repetitive and moody sounding beat. We know that energy and that motivation is a mask for a darker truth; that the cycle of addiction repeats. It makes us doubt whether Renton can really escape, or whether he’s just manically rushing into the next addiction or thrill. Who knows whether he even deserves it, and he doesn’t know either as he wrestles with his guilt over leaving his past behind. It’s so fucking perfect but so gut wrenching.

The mid 90s was a great time to be a teenager in Britain and watching you react to this classic brings back lots of memories.

“The junkies are going to Isengard”. Bloody brilliant lol

Yeah, as someone who is sober now, this is pretty crazy to watch again. I’m glad this movie is so terrible, because maybe it will make one person think before they get high. H is bad, because it feels so good. It’s literally/physically the best thing you will ever feel, and it will dull the rest of your life. You will never feel as good as you felt that first time. Not from anything in your life. Living in the streets I’ve seen terrible things, but I only cared about getting high. The part with them wanting a hit after the baby died is very true. When something terrible happens you just want to get high again to dull life. More trauma for you to run away from. It’s a cycle. The thing not many people talk about with addiction like this, is that it’s life long. I’ve been sober over 10 years, and I still dream about getting high when I sleep. I’d never do it awake, but my body still wants it. I can’t get too drunk either because I might lose my will power. My mom is 75 and has been sober over 30 years and she still has dreams about getting high. It never goes away. I wish I could go back and never do it, but I can’t. I can just tell people to stay away. Now, it’s pretty much in pill form, so don’t be fooled. Be safe. ❤ y’all.

To answer your question at the 18 minute mark - the film is called Trainspotting because junkies have track marks on their arms from the needles.

Trainspotting and T2 are both masterful. And for them to get the full cast and directors back for T2 really shined

I was a late teen when this came out and in the UK it was kind of a culture explosion in film at the time as the British film industry had been dying on its ass for ages and suddenly we had Danny Boyle, Guy Ritchie and Edgar Wright actually making slick movies and TV again. It's something that needed to happen as for so long we were kind of borrowing our movie culture from America which don't get me wrong was brilliant especially in the 80's but it felt good to see a new wave of talent come through to usher in a new era where suddenly money was available for British films again as before that pickings were slim

I still maintain that so much money spent on state-sponsored anti-drug PSAs could have been saved by simply offering free public screenings of Trainspotting and Requiem for a Dream. Nothing ever made me less interested in hard narcotics than seeing the latter as a teenager. They're both incredibly well-made movies, and they're both really upsetting and difficult to sit through, which I think makes them effective for that reason.

When we were young in England, all good movies seemed to be made in Hollywood. The best we could do was have Hugh Grant be posh and charming in fancy london restaurants. The idea that we could make Hollywood standard movies about our scummy dirty underbelly was unheard of. Suddenly a guy is making a 10 out of 10 film about wasters in an Edinburgh housing project. This movie inspired so many of us here.

This was an absolute cultural phenomenon in the UK. I went to an early half full screening before anyone had even heard of it ( having been impressed with "Shallow Grave" ), everyone was retching at the toilet sequence, it was hilarious. Great film, a standard soundtrack CD and poster in every student flat for years.

When Renton shoots the pit-bull with the BB-gun, the dog-owner's visual style is supposed to be classic 90s neo-nazi type - which is probably the main reason Renton gets so excited about it in the first place, it's not just a random target

Trainspotting was a novel and was turned into an award winning play before becoming a movie. In the play Ewen Bremner played Renton but was recast as Spud by Danny Boyle for the movie

Kelly Macdonald originally went to the auditions to support a friend who was the one auditioning. She caught the casting directors' eye and landed her first role without even meaning to.

Its a Naloxone shot that they give him, its an opiod antogonist that rapidly binds to the receptors and reverses the effects of an opiod overdose. My local town had big problem in the 90s and the teenagers and younger adults about 5-10 years older than me went through this in droves, there were a ton of deaths and crime. This movie is just a glimpse into the sad reality of opiod epidemics

"He's so pale" well, he is in Scotland...

Can't believe after watching this, Requiem for a Dream, and Basketball Diaries as a kid I still became a heroin addict for a decade, been clean almost 6 years now and it took me 2 or 3 years before I could even enjoy anything again. There's a reason it's so addictive, and kind of bittersweet when you get clean and realize you will never get that feeling again. Still, the negatives will always eventually vastly outweigh the positives.

Seeing the baby die from neglect broke my heart on first viewing, then the way they brought it back later in the film to terrorize Mark as he goes through major withdraw. Another drug movie you should look into one of these days is Requiem for a Dream and Ewan McGregor in a film called Big Fish, not a drug movie.

An absolute classic British movie that defined an era.

I read somewhere that they tried to mirror the path into addiction with the pacing and content. So that's why the first parts are where most of the fun stuff happens and then it shifts more into the misery as the movie goes on.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS FILM! Cant wait to see your reaction! As a Scottish person this is a gem and cult classic and my friend got to be an extra in the second one! ❤

I first saw Trainspotting in the evening of a day when I had been assaulted in a bar. A lot of the Begby scenes hit just a little bit harder that day.

The guy who sold Renton the suppositories is Irvine Welsh who wrote the book the film is based on.

omg 20:01 is a reference Family Guy made when Stewie became addicted to pancakes

Ah, Trainspotting, the movie so Scottish that it needed subtitles! I’m so glad someone’s finally tackling it… and of course it’s George and Simone 😁 There are quite a few parallels with A Clockwork Orange. Ewan McGregor’s performance as Renton drew a lot of comparisons with Malcolm McDowell’s performance as Alex DeLarge - two young actors who give incredibly charismatic performances, playing protagonists that make morally reprehensible choices and live in a carefree, self-absorbed way, trying to cheat their way out of punishment, falling foul of former friends and then finally (in the book of A Clockwork Orange, at least) choosing to break away and go straight. There’s also a visual reference to the Clockwork Orange milk bar in the scene where Renton meets Diane. Also, both films got criticised for glorifying their subjects by critics who missed the subtext! It’s also funny to think that George Lucas saw this and pointed at Ewan McGregor, saying “Yes, he’s the perfect man to play young Obi Wan!”

“The kitten was fine.” I only just clued in on the fact that the kitten was fine because it was hungry and had to… eat… something… Ohh my.

This movie shifted film making in the same way Tarantino did, for me. Combined with an amazing OST, this movie was a cultural UK milestone in my mid twenties. And the author Irvin Welsh played the ‘suppository guy’

Renton is "that guy" in his circle of friends. Lots of potential, creative, probably in the right environment would have been a successful and happy person. I think a lot of stories (such as Stand By Me) show this character as sort of blameless because 9 times out of 10 they are the author stand in character, but as someone who was "that guy" in his circle of friends, I can tell you I committed my own atrocities surrounded by the wrong people. It's hard to escape a bad place without breaking a little bad.

DEFINITELY watch Trainspotting 2!! It is ALSO an amazing film! It stands on it's own, separate from the first, and it humanizes the characters so much more. Both films together feel like one long complete story that comes full circle. Worth the 21 year wait.

The term Trainspotting comes from the original book; the lads run into Begbie's dad (who they initially assume is a transient), who asks them if they're 'trainspotting.' The sequel is worth watching, as you see the initial cast 20 years later. It's MUCH lighter, and it's really interesting to see all the original people years later.

8:31 I might be wrong, but that seems like a Clockwork Orange reference. Like the writing on the wall looks like the bar that Alex hangs out in with the droogs.

Toxoplasmosis almost exclusively kills people with auto-immune diseases. Odds are that anyone who has ever had a cat is infected but it doesn't matter unless you're immuno-compromised.

About Trainspotting: 1. Trainspotting is essentially a hobby where you watch trains pass and record them. Certain cars or loads that are unusual for the route are "spotted". it's a very niche thing. 2. Narcan generally reverses an opiate overdose. However in my area literal tranquilizers are mixed into the supply. Naloxone doesn't counteract the effects. 3. I've smoked opium. It made me feel so good and happy that I could be lying naked on broken glass and not care. 4. Never do heroin.

This is a beautiful movie. Often misunderstood. It's depth, even it's point really, is sometimes slow to settle in. I'm excited to see how y'all receive it. Thanks! Here we go! :)

Glad you've seen this. It was a huge part of the zeitgeist when it was released, which was hot on the heels of the novel having a similar impact (obv the movie contains some shortcuts and composite characters to ease the complexity). As somebody of a similar age from another UK city, this felt like "our story" even though the actual content was far removed from our lives, other than some of the backdrop/culture, and especially the soundtrack. It's fair to say that I encountered characters at the margins of my life (the first rave generation) that were similar or knew people that were. I did, in fact, spot novelist Irvine Welsh once on a night out at the club where I worked. Welsh appears in the movie and a lot of his work has autobiographical influences. His success catapulted him to a place where his work suffered from being less rooted in reality. The book has both a prequel and sequel; the latter became a decent movie which is interesting to see where the characters (and actors!) ended up, but lacks the punch and invention of the original. Boyle did a fantastic job of bringing life to the material without watering it down.

Non actor barmaid Kelly MacDonald's first film, being selected from an open casting tryout. She is amazing!

"They are taking the junkies to Isengard" - I laughed so hard at that one, i'm still laughing :D

Im from Scotland - In my final English lesson in high school my teacher gave us all "books that reflect your personality"... Bastard gave me Trainspotting. 😂

One of my favorite films. A masterclass in filmmaking. It had such an impact on me seeing it in the 90s. When only a bleak future was seen as possible. It hit at the right time with the soundtrack. I thought the second film was criminally underrated. It continues the theme of a group of sad people living sad lives just older. Also, Boyle's first film, Shallow Grave, is excellent as well.

"They're taking the junkies to Isengard!" Ffs George 🤣🤣

Trainspotting regularly makes lists of the best movies you never want to watch again.

13:59...I think the Scottish Tourist Board probably loved Trainspotting...it somehow managed to make living in Scotland look interesting 😉😊🤣🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

This movie helped a small group of people I knew years ago...it basically scared them sh*tless into wanting to change everything about their lifestyle and as a group helped each other until they eventually got off the stuff for good...I see one today and he still says Trainspotting saved his life! There was one though who never could stop no matter what she tried. So sad thinking about it again as you probably can make out what happened! Man...this brought back some memories..good and bad but enjoyed your watchalong. T2 is fantastic btw!

When Simone commented on the cute baby crawling into frame.... yeah, you're not going to like what's coming up. :/

Simone: Look at the baby coming into frame. It's adorable.! Me: ... groan...

Being 23 and moving ti London 1996 for work from the countryside, I totally related to this. Underworld was a great band. We also had drum and bass and gear in West London. Living in a household of Scots, Aussies, Saffers and Kiwis all working in the city. Surrounded by Somalians, Ethiopians and Nigerians. Was a rush. Weekend raves.

I'll have more to say in a few hours once I've had a chance to watch the whole reaction, but I just want to get in right upfront and say I *really* hope you also watch the sequel T2 Trainspotting, made 20 years later. I think it's up there with Blade Runner 2049 as one of the greatest decades-later sequels of all time, and while I have seen a few reactions to the original, I have rarely seen reactions to the sequel. (I will also add, to encourage Simone, that it doesn't feature gross-out jokes, and it's not nearly as depressing.) EDIT: Okay! The scene from which the book and movie get the title Trainspotting was not included in this movie, but they did actually retroactively adapt that scene and include it in the sequel. Speaking of the novel, Mikey Forrester, the dealer who sells Renton the suppositories, is played by Irvine Welsh, author of the novel. Kind of funny that you mention Highlander, as James Cosmo, who plays Renton's dad, was also in Highlander. In terms of the characters and the effect this whole experience had on them, I have to again mention the sequel, T2 Trainspotting. What's great about that movie, without spoilers, is that taking place 20 years later allows it to really reckon with the events of Trainspotting on a larger scale than most movie sequels ever get to. I think another specific element of the magic of it is that Boyle and McGregor were inseparable for a few years, with McGregor starring in Boyle's first three movies. Then Boyle made The Beach, and he was convinced by the studio to cast Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role following DiCaprio skyrocketing to stardom thanks to Titanic. McGregor was hurt by what he thought was a personal slight (Boyle admitted he could've handled it better), and they did not really speak for almost all of the 20 years. It was around 2015 and 2016 that they finally spoke and realized that their wounds had healed, and so I think some of that made its way into the film itself and enriched it. The actor who plays Sick Boy, Jonny Lee Miller, also made his name by starring in the TV show "Elementary." Another great, fun movie he's in is the 1995 film Hackers. An absolutely ridiculous portrayal of what computers are like, but it's great. I also recommend some of Danny Boyle's other movies (also less disgusting): Sunshine, and the other Boyle/McGregor collaborations T2, Shallow Grave and A Life Less Ordinary.

As a former opiate addict (many years ago), the scene of Mark going through withdrawals was very accurate, at least with my experience. Sans the dead baby, of course. I watched Freaks and Geeks which, in hindsight, was a bad move because "Bad Reputation" still makes break out into anxiety sweats. Still really love this film. Also, the best, worst, and hilarious thing about the Irvine Welsh novel that this is based on is that it's written in the Scottish burr that these characters speak in. Like, you're literally reading how they speak. The novel includes a glossary to help people understand what's being said. lmao

"The baby rolling into frame is so adorable!" ::all the viewers chuckle nervously......::

Spud’s gf, Gail, is played by Shirley Henderson. This was before she got her part as Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter.

I was 17 when I watched that on screen, being a troubled teen this movie made some healthy inpact on me. Way better that Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue

17:36 Narcan? Probably? I'm not a medic.

Danny Boyle always gets the credit the Author is Irvine Welsh a genuine ex heroin addict from Scotland. The trainspottinf characters are in 7/8 different books.

I saw this in the theaters back in the day. It was like a distillation of its time period. A fantastic movie, which I will *never* watch again. I bought the soundtrack album the next day and still have it.

There are two CD soundtracks of this movie and its really good, and catapulted the song "Born slippy nuxx" to a hit for Underworld, one of my favourite electronic bands. And i watch this movie in 1997 when i was young, so in 2017 they make the second part and literally pass 20 years in they story , so it was a nostalgia for me

I enthusiastically recommend you see the sequel, which revisits the characters 20-odd years later. It goes EXACTLY where you demand it goes and shows them trying to deal with repercussions of their decisions and middle age at the same time. They're not allowed to "write anything off," and it's beautiful.

Trainspotting is the needle marks on the arms looking like dots on a trainline map.

The soundtrack introduced the world to one of the best club tracks of all time. The first notes of "Born Slippy" are iconic.

I watched this when it first came out, definitely one of my favorite films, you have to watch the sequel. and the soundtrack for both films is spot on.

Trainspotting means to be obsessed with a topic - like Sickboy with James Bond's movies - or to shoot heroin, which people used to do by trainyards.

The end of this film give me goosebumps when Born Slippy comes on and it ends with the monologue. Film making at its best.

The novel is AMAZING as well. Danny Boyle was in peak form here. My favorite film of that year. This flick catapulted Ewan McGregor into stardom.

Can't really blame Mark for what happened to Tommy. Tommy made his own decision, as harsh as that sounds. I grew up around many many druggies in the punk rock scene but never did it myself, no matter how low I got. Just thought I'd chime in with that.

This movie is amazing yet brutal/heartbreaking at times. Atleast the ending gives a (very small) shed of hope. The story isn't complete without the sequel from 2017 It has a good rating, and worth watching to complete the story. It clearly takes place many years later. I hope you give it a watch.

This is one of my favorite movies. Thank you for reacting/reviewing it.

The baby rolling into frame is so adorable is it?

If you liked this one, maybe check out "The Basketball Diaries" with young Leonardo DiCaprio. Those two movies made me never wanna try Heroin or other Opioids in the first place. "Kids" would be another great movie from that time btw.

If you want another movie with similar themes, which is also pretty hard to watch, try Requiem for a Dream.

Irvine Welsh, who plays Mikey Forrester in this movie is actually the author of the book - which the movie is based on.

“They are taking the junkies to Isengard!” ..Ohh my Lord.😂 …But anyway, thanks for reacting to one of the 90s most legendary films!

You should watch the sequel. It's really good, in my opinion. It's based on the sequel to the book; in the book, it's ten years since the events of the first, but for the movie, they made it twenty years later.

Definitely watch the sequel. It's really good.

Every time I hear a strong scottish accent.. I just think "ELEVEN!"

It’s a raw and a realistic depiction of heroin addiction and its effects on an addict’s life. Though everyone was great, MVP of the cast was Ewen Bremner, IMO. Such a great 90’s soundtrack. I also liked the use of black comedy as a contrast to the harsh realities of addiction.

When I was 16-17 I was experimenting with drugs (weed and occasionally ecstacy) and all I heard from the media (90's in the UK) was that drugs were bad and will ruin your life. But I knew that wasn't true for weed so I was starting to consider trying heroin, reasoning that the naysayers could not be trusted to give an honest opinion. Then this movie came out, and helped me realise that heroin is not the same. By iincluding the upside that sucks people in rather than only showing the horrific outcomes, Boyle and Welsh (the author, who ironically played Mikey Forrester) produced a much more realistic warning than any before it.