Release Date – 10th April 2026, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hours 47 minutes, Director – James McAvoy
Hopeful Scottish rappers Gavin (Seamus McLean Ross) and Billy (Samuel Bottomley) are turned down by music executives because of their accents, finding success by pretending to be American they plan to expose the industry, however their personas start to get in the way.
California Schemin’ pulls the rug from under you multiple times. Starting out as an almost Scottish That Thing You Do before becoming a more intense drama part way through a heated exchange between the two central characters I realised how utterly engrossed I was by the film. Looking up at the screen in slightly open-mouthed fascination at the unfolding ‘based on a true story’ of Silibil N’ Brains.
Also known as Billy (Samuel Bottomley) and Gavin (Seamus McLean Ross) the pair are hopeful Scottish rappers, creating hip-hop tracks when not working in a broadband call centre. It’s 2003 and major labels are looking for the next Eminem or Wu-Tang Clan, however a Dundee accent doesn’t fit the bill, with the two being mocked at a major audition as the “rapping Proclaimers.” Having had enough Gavin makes a call with a dodgy Californian accent and the pair find themselves being quickly signed up as the USA’s own Silibil N’ Brains, and finding quick success at clubs. Working their way towards a single they plan to expose the industry, and who they really are, on MTV’s The Hook.
James McAvoy, in his directorial debut, gets powerhouse performances from his leads, and those around them. It’s the characters that lead the events rather than the narrative or industry around them. There’s a spark to Ross and Bottomley’s turns which adds to the growing punchiness of the drama. The room spins around them until the tables turn and their characters start to struggle to separate themselves from their American personas; they keep up the act even when noone else is around. You can feel one’s worry for the other as they see how deep in character they’ve become, getting lost amongst drink, drugs and success – even before they’ve properly released any music. Yet, at the same time when performing together in front of a crowd there’s a sense of joint elation.
Natural laughs in the early stages, and there are a good few chuckles to be found, start to fade in line with the shifting tone of the film and its drama, it’s fitting and almost goes unnoticed. The fire of the drama is turned up and there’s a real impact to its intensity. The story could so easily tread conventional lines, and one or two such elements crop up over the course of the film although managing to avoid Dewey Cox territory, but what avoids them from coming out in full flourish is the simple connection we have with the characters and their journey. Their bond is likable, we want to see them succeed. The personas feel more like amusing deception rather than damaging lies; all until things start to turn and others are brought into the picture. Particularly Billy’s girlfriend Mary (Lucy Halliday – really holding her own when getting the chance to outshine the two leads) and the pair’s first-time manager Tessa (Rebekah Murrell), who scouted them at their first club appearance.
With his debut McAvoy creates a stunning, thoroughly entertaining drama. With his leads putting in strong turns for both their characters and their personas there’s light and dark to the deception that’s unfolding and it all lands an effect. I sat struck by the film and the performances from start to finish. It seems the UK continues to make the best musical biopics, even when we have to question whether we can consider the personas of the characters as underdogs.
A punchy, fiery drama with some good chuckles, California Schemin’ is a force that pulls the rug from under you. Ross and Bottomley are stunning as the dreamers who get fearfully lost in their own transfixing deception.
Just A Little Bit Random 