1997’s Trainspotting, directed by the previously-lauded
Danny Boyle, is one of my all-time favourite films. As much as a retooling of A
Clockwork Orange as it is a bladed lower-middle class answer to it, it is a
pitch-black comedic look at addiction, what it means to be a junkie and how
“getting a fix” extends to using people as much as your chosen drug. Through
its incredible acting and acknowledgement of the misanthropic tendencies of its
main characters, it stands as one of the greatest drug films ever made. The
fact that it put both Boyle and lead actor Ewan McGregor on the map is laudable
but barely a footnote in comparison to how enthralling it is on its own. You
better believe, even knowing what happened with Boyle and writer John Hodge’s
last 90’s throwback collaboration, that I was eagerly anticipating this
follow-up. With how my scepticism never wanes even in the presence of promising
works, let’s see how well this decades-removed continuation turned out.
