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Trailer

Trainspotting

1996Movie1 h 34 minR

CrimeDrama
86
ExcellentGoodWatch score
IMDb8.1Letterboxd4.2/5Metacritic838.4Rotten Tomatoes93%93%

An eccentric, psychedelic drama movie about the mind and society, with standout direction and performances.

Good for friends night · party vibe · thought-provoking

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood · graphic violence bothers you

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for warmth or comfort.

Movies with

Story

Choose life.

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.

Feels like

  • Gritty Scottish Realism
  • Iconic Soundtrack
  • Dark Comedy Drama
  • Stylized Drug Culture
  • Cynical Coming-of-Age
  • Visually Inventive
  • Sharp Witty Dialogue
  • Social Satire
  • High-Energy Editing

Cast

24 of 26

Crew

Directed by
Danny Boyle
Written by
Irvine Welsh, John Hodge
Produced by
Andrew Macdonald
Music by
Damon Albarn, Richard Fettes, Colin Nicolson

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

February 23, 1996 · 1 h 34 min · R

Released
February 23, 1996
Runtime
1 h 34 min
Age rating
R
Content
Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Drug Use, Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Drama, Crime
Original language
English
Made in
United Kingdom
Budget
$4 million
Box office
$72 million
Available in
56 countries
Keywords
based on novel or book

Tropes

Better than Sex, Indirect Kiss, No Periods, Period +9

  • Better than Sex
  • Indirect Kiss
  • No Periods, Period
  • Throw the Dog a Bone
  • Armoured Closet Gay
  • Cute Kitten
  • Idiosyncratic Episode Naming
  • What Happened to the Mouse?
  • Same Language Dub
  • Byronic Hero
  • Dramatic Ellipsis
  • Catholic School Girls Rule

12 of 212 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

7 questions, like "Where can I stream Trainspotting?"

Questions about Trainspotting

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Trainspotting?

In the United States, you can rent or buy Trainspotting from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, and Plex. It streams in 14 other countries, but not in the United States.

Is Trainspotting worth watching?

86
ExcellentGoodWatch score

Yes, it's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 86 (IMDb 8.1, Letterboxd 4.2 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 93%, and Metacritic 83).

Is there a sequel to Trainspotting?

  1. Trainspotting (1996)
  2. T2 Trainspotting (2017)

Yes: it's movie 1 of 2 in its series, followed by T2 Trainspotting (2017).

Will Trainspotting make me laugh?

Very funny

Yes, a lot: the humor is mostly sharp wit (9 of 10) and dark humor (9 of 10).

Is Trainspotting plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on dialogue centrality (10 of 10) and character depth (9 of 10) more than on its plot.

Was Trainspotting a box office hit?

Budget$4 million
Box office$72 million

Yes, a big one: it cost about $4 million to make and earned $72 million worldwide, 18.0 times its budget.

What tropes does Trainspotting use?

Better than SexIndirect KissNo Periods, PeriodThrow the Dog a BoneArmoured Closet GayCute KittenIdiosyncratic Episode NamingWhat Happened to the Mouse?Same Language DubByronic HeroDramatic EllipsisCatholic School Girls Ruleand 200 more

TV Tropes lists 212 tropes for it, including Better than Sex, Indirect Kiss, and No Periods, Period.