“It’s shite being Scottish”.

Those words spoken by Ewan McGregor in 1996’s Trainspotting reverberate throughout the quirky and undeniably Scottish California Schemin’. Glaswegian James McAvoy makes his directorial feature debut with a very true story inspired by a real lie, which is fresh, funny, and above all, entertaining.

You likely haven’t heard of rap duo Silibil N’ Brains. In the early 2000s, laid-back L.A. bros Billy Boyd and Gavin Bain were the talk of the town, thanks to a hit song on the radio, TV appearances, and a gig as the opening act for D12. Their music was real, their friendship true, and their stage presence was something to behold. The only thing that wasn’t true was where they were from.

Far from L.A.’s sunshine, beaches, and traffic, Bain and Boyd actually hailed from Dundee, Scotland. Tired of being dumped on by the music industry for being Scottish, the lads decided to rebrand themselves as a pair of American rappers. Their ultimate goal was to prove their talent and simultaneously embarrass the elitist industry executives who had mockingly labelled them the “rapping Proclaimers.”

McAvoy has a wealth of source material for his first film, including a screenplay by Elaine Gracie and Archie Thomson. Bain released a memoir in 2010 and a documentary, The Great Hip Hop Hoax, detailed their scheme, which initially included a big reveal of their Scottishness on live television.

The story is a safe bet for the first-time director. California Schemin’ is a compelling underdog tale that is easy for audiences to embrace. His energetic direction and clear storytelling vision, honed through his own experience as a young actor, elicit strong performances from his young cast, making this unbelievable yet true story a hit.

Seamus McLean Ross and Samuel Bottomley, who play Gavin (aka Brains) and Billy (aka Silibil) respectively, deliver dynamic performances as the film’s young leads. Initially, the confident and high-spirited Billy drives their plan, contrasting with the shy Gavin, who struggles with performance anxiety. As the film progresses, their roles reverse, allowing both actors to create multifaceted characters. Bottomley gets the slightly juicer role, with more in his personal life at stake, while Ross gets to be the fame-driving force of the duo, providing them ample opportunity to butt heads. Their strong brotherly chemistry effectively sells their deception to not just the music execs, but the audience, too. Lucy Halliday charmingly portrays Billy’s girlfriend, Mary, serving as their staunchest supporter but also the first to challenge them when things go awry.

While it doesn’t quite reach the manic energy levels of a rap origin story like Kneecap, there is plenty of humour and heart to like here. An entertaining montage of the boys practicing their American accents by echoing classic film lines, like “show me the money!” is delightful. When Silibil N’ Brains catch the eye of talent scout Tessa (Rebekah Murrell), their bluff pays off big time as they’re signed to a record label headed by a Scottish scuzzball (McAvoy). It’s clear their ruse won’t last, but the viewers and the boys never quite know when the jig will be up. Knowing their lies will eventually get the better of them is what makes California Schemin’ watchable.

Though the film follows a predictable arc – the plan, the success, the fear of exposure, and the inevitable reveal – the film remains compelling throughout. Its initially lighthearted tone shifts to a more serious one midway through, as Billy and Gavin clash over how to maintain their deception, which adds a welcome layer of tension. While the script effectively portrays the consequences for Billy and Gavin when the truth emerges, the story perhaps could have benefited from exploring the broader repercussions of their revelation. Nevertheless, it doesn’t detract from the story McAvoy and co. are trying to tell.

Never feeling like a vanity project, it’s clear the actor has a future as a director cut out for him, whether he champions more Scottish talent and stories or looks elsewhere.

After all this, maybe it’s not so shite being Scottish – at least when you’ve got talent, charm, and a great story to tell.

California Schemin’ screened as part of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

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