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Trainspotting

Play trailer 2:12 Poster for Trainspotting R 1996 1h 34m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 176 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Heroin addict Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) stumbles through bad ideas and sobriety attempts with his unreliable friends -- Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), Begbie (Robert Carlyle), Spud (Ewen Bremner) and Tommy (Kevin McKidd). He also has an underage girlfriend, Diane (Kelly Macdonald), along for the ride. After cleaning up and moving from Edinburgh to London, Mark finds he can't escape the life he left behind when Begbie shows up at his front door on the lam, and a scheming Sick Boy follows.
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Trainspotting

Trainspotting

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Critics Consensus

Breathlessly kinetic, darkly hilarious, and unapologetically transgressive, Trainspotting transforms the highs and lows of addiction into a ferociously stylish feat of cinematic invention.

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Critics Reviews

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Jane Horwitz Washington Post Jul 31, 2026
Using a sort of street poetry inspired by Irvine Welsh's novel, "Trainspotting" attempts to understand the attraction heroin holds for directionless youth. Go to Full Review Peter Aspden Financial Times Jul 16, 2026
Boyle's master-stroke is to spurn the obvious route of social realism and use thrillingly abrupt changes of set, tone and mood. Go to Full Review David Denby New York Magazine/Vulture Jul 16, 2026
Trainspotting is far from a raw documentary. But it is precisely this evasion of realism that makes it so fun. Go to Full Review Larry Ratliff San Antonio Express-News Aug 24, 2026
3.5/4
This is a clinic of excellent acting from all involved. Go to Full Review Vern Perry Orange County Register Jul 16, 2026
The film features top-notch performances, particularly that of Ewan McGregor as Mark Renton. Go to Full Review Betsy Sherman The Improper Bostonian Jul 16, 2026
3/4
Its scatalogical vaudeville misses as often as it hits. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Kabir Sep 29, 2026 Iconic. Electric. Amazing. It’s a rollercoaster of a movie. Those who haven’t watched it and are going in blind are in for a ride they will not forget. See more Tim O Jun 8, 2026 I forgot how strong most of the characters accents are in this cult-classic-to-now-unqualified-classic movie. Seeing it on the big screen (in a new 4K restoration) was great, but when you see this at home (as Im sure I did the last time that I watched it), be very glad that you can put on English subtitles to understand their Scottish version of English! This is especially true of Ewen Bremners and Robert Carlyles characterizations. Theres so much humor and wit in the dialogue in Trainspotting, that you really dont want to miss out on half of what theyre saying in most scenes, even if you get the gist of whats happening. See more David Jun 8, 2026 the best film of the 90's See more Christopher Jun 7, 2026 Classic. I saw it when it came out 30 years ago, and it holds up. See more Robert P @Superbad Sep 7, 2026 Trainspotting = a *5* star movie... See more Colton S @Phant0m Aug 23, 2026 Excellent. Choose life. See more Read all reviews
Trainspotting

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Cast & Crew

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Danny Boyle

Director

Ewan McGregor

Mark "Rent-boy" Renton

Ewen Bremner

Daniel "Spud" Murphy

Jonny Lee Miller

Simon David "Sick Boy" Williamson

Kevin McKidd

Tommy MacKenzie

Robert Carlyle

Francis (Franco) Begbie

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Trainspotting

Will There be a Trainspotting 3?! Will There be a Trainspotting 3?! 0:49 Now Playing "It Was a Moment in Time with the Music" Ewan McGregor on the Making of 'Trainspotting' "It Was a Moment in Time with the Music" Ewan McGregor on the Making of 'Trainspotting' 12:21 Now Playing Trainspotting: 30th Anniversary 4K Restoration Trailer Trainspotting: 30th Anniversary 4K Restoration Trailer 2:12 Now Playing View more videos
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Trainspotting

Trainspotting (1996) Trainspotting (1996) Trainspotting (1996) Trainspotting (1996) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Heroin addict Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) stumbles through bad ideas and sobriety attempts with his unreliable friends -- Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), Begbie (Robert Carlyle), Spud (Ewen Bremner) and Tommy (Kevin McKidd). He also has an underage girlfriend, Diane (Kelly Macdonald), along for the ride. After cleaning up and moving from Edinburgh to London, Mark finds he can't escape the life he left behind when Begbie shows up at his front door on the lam, and a scheming Sick Boy follows.
Director
Danny Boyle
Producer
Andrew Macdonald
Screenwriter
John Hodge
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
Figment Films, Noel Gay Motion Picture Company, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Rating
R (Nudity|Graphic Heroin Use|Sex|Some Violence|Strong Language)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 19, 1996, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jun 5, 2026
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 19, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$16.6M
Runtime
1h 34m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, Stereo, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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