We often forget that the biopic genre extends further than your well-known personalities. The market has been crowded with the likes of A Complete Unknown (2024), BlackBerry (2023), and Oppenheimer (2023), but we should also pay attention to hidden gems of real-life stories that embrace a tongue-in-cheek energy. James McAvoy decides to take matters into his own hands and rejuvenates the genre with the outlandishly hilarious California Schemin’, which had its world premiere at TIFF 2025.

In what feels too crazy to be true, the story follows two Scottish best friends, Gavin Bain (Seamus McLean Ross) and Billy Boyd (Samuel Bottomley), who decide they will stop at nothing to achieve their dreams of becoming international rap superstars, even if that means completely altering who they are. Wrapping themselves further and further in a convoluted lie, they act like they are Californians to make it to the big leagues. McAvoy successfully balances the outrageousness of the story with the emotional turmoil and self-destruction that come with the deception.

The stem of this deceit is the disdain and stigma that can still exist around the Scottish accent and what it means to be Scottish. Although played for a gag, we hear the phrase “can you be racist to white people?” said, which shines a harsh but necessary light on the discrimination faced towards the Scottish by others and themselves. It is rare we see Scottish identity broken down in such a way within a biography. Whether they are depicted as having a violent temper, like in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), or with over-exaggerated, incomprehensible accents like in The Simpsons (1989-), they are always drawn the short straw and left to be subjected to this ridicule.

In tandem, Scots saw England, specifically London, through rose-tinted glasses as the land of opportunity, expecting to be welcomed when in reality, the English perpetuated their berating. We see the blatant disrespect shown to Gavin and Billy in their audition, not taken seriously, and judged purely on their identity. In a world that is seemingly moving towards patriotism and casting hatred upon those deemed as “other,” McAvoy reminds audiences that, regardless of who you are, you have potential and that we should encourage being more accepting of one another as well as ourselves.

In their breakout performances, Ross and Bottomley establish an electric chemistry, with their on-screen friendship teetering from a brotherly bond to fragmented acquaintances as they wondrously characterise their rapid rise to fame together. The difficulty in portraying their fallout was aided by the fact that both got to speak separately with the real-life Gavin and Billy to understand each of their perspectives on the events that unfolded. 

As they mentioned in the Q&A after it premiered at TIFF, they refused to meet as a foursome as there is still unresolved tension between the duo, and, oftentimes, their accounts of the events would misalign. While confusing, it helped create unbiased accounts of Gavin and Billy, forming the most authentic version of those characters and, in turn, the story that there possibly could have been.  

What will garner this feature a rapturous reception is the natural comedic flow of the narrative. Writers Archie Thomson and Elanie Gracie craft a sharp, witty yet heartfelt screenplay that leans into the British humor that North Americans know and love, taking inspiration from films like In Bruges (2008), Hot Fuzz (2007), and, of course, Trainspotting (1996). With both having never written for a feature-length film before, Thomson and Gracie deliver a hilariously engaging story that empowers and uplifts audiences. A feeling often missing in recent biopics.

For his directorial debut, McAvoy plays to his strengths but also quite safely. Drawing inspiration from his earlier comedic work in Starter For 10 (2006) and Filth (2013), he is able to guide the actors in successfully emanating the humor from the script into their characters. Besides that, it feels that McAvoy has a lot to learn in his endeavor into directing, with nothing notable standing out from his direction. However, the choice of California Schemin’ as his debut feels perfect as he is in comfortable territory, encapsulating all that he loves about Scotland into the film, whilst also launching himself into unfamiliar grounds in directing for the first time.

Sound designer William Aikman and composer Raffertie steal the show with their clear vision for the revival of Silibil N’ Brains’ music. Raffertie masterfully reworks some of the original raps to be less derogatory and crafts new material whilst staying true to the original sound of the duo. Aikman ensures that the music effortlessly and dynamically fits into any sequence in the film, whether it be empty audition halls or practicing in their bedrooms. Together, they use the soundtrack and sound design to transport the audience to small underground nightclubs, fully immersing them in what it would have been like in the crowd listening to the rapping duo before they were discovered.

McAvoy cements a solid foundation for his first outing as director with a narrative laced in absurdity, self-discovery, and triumph. While it does not bring anything inherently visually new to the biopic genre, it offers a refreshing injection of energy that we have not felt in the genre for some time, whilst tackling incredibly relevant conversations that are imperative to be had today.

Review Courtesy of Nandita Joshi

Feature Image Courtesy of TIFF