T2 Trainspotting (2017)

T2 Trainspotting (2017) is a British black comedy drama film, directed by Danny Boyle and written by John Hodge. It takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland and is based on characters from Irvine Welsh’s novels Trainspotting and Porno. Two decades after his betrayal and escape with the majority of their scam money, Mark Renton returns to Edinburgh for the first time. He seeks out his former companions Spud and Simon, but they are both struggling just as much as when he left them. Spud had briefly turned his life around but has since fallen back into despair, even considering suicide. Simon now manages his father’s pub which is losing money, amidst threats of blackmail. Meanwhile, Begbie, the fourth member of their group from 20 years ago who was intensely violent, remains in prison with plans for revenge upon release.

The movie starts with Mark Renton running on a treadmill at the gym. As he is lost in thought, he accidentally slips and falls unconscious. We catch a glimpse of Mark’s childhood with his best friends Simon ‘Sick Boy’ Williamson, Daniel ‘Spud’ Murphy, and Francis ‘Franco’ Begbie playing soccer in the neighborhood streets. In the present day, Franco meets with his lawyer, Stoddart, who informs him that his parole has been denied due to his violent behavior. Franco responds rudely to this news and notices the lawyer reaching for a buzzer to call for guards. Without hesitation, Franco lunges at Stoddart. Meanwhile, Spud attends a group meeting for drug addicts as he continues to struggle with his heroin addiction. He shares how being an hour late for work due to daylight savings time caused him to lose his job and be late for other important events such as a custody hearing with his ex-partner Gail. Despite Spud’s love for their son ‘Wee’ Fergus, Gail refuses to let him back into their lives because of his destructive habits.