'California Schemin'' review: James McAvoy directorial debut is engaging real-life Scottish rap tale

Dir: James McAvoy. UK. 2025. 103mins

In 2003 two frustrated Scottish lads decided to expose the vapidness of the music business by pretending to be American rap duo Silibil N’ Brains. Their outlandish plan succeeded far more than they could have hoped, eventually leading them to support legendary hiphop group D12 at Glasgow’s iconic venue Barrowlands. Their unpredictable real-life story serves as the inspiration for actor James McAvoy’s engaging yet visually disorientating directorial debut feature California Schemin’. 

A memorable take on the hiphop movie

Considering that Gavin Bain (here played by Séamus McLean Ross) and Billy Boyd (Samuel Bottomley) hail from Dundee, only 50km from the Glasgow-born McAvoy’s old stomping grounds, this inspirational tale is a soft landing on home turf for the actor-turned-filmmaker. The celebratory mood of California Schemin’ also affords McAvoy a tonal change of pace from an acting career filled with darker films, like Speak No Evil, Split and the X-Men franchise. And while McAvoy has certainly set out to make a regionally specific underdog story fuelled by long odds and big dreams, there is a compelling universality that, when combined with booming backbeats, could speak to a younger music-obsessed audience following its Toronto premiere. 

California Schemin’ follows in a growing tradition of rousing rap movies, like Eminem biopic 8 Mile, Craig Brewer’s Hustle & Flow, and Rich Peppiatt’s recent Irish-language rallying cry Kneecap. These rebellious works have replaced the biker rocker films that once galvanized teens looking to break a dishonest system via unshakeable authenticity. 

For a time, the skittish Galvin and the persuasive Billy hope to do the same. The two outsiders, who are ridiculed by bullies for pursuing their dreams, are stuck working dead-end telecom jobs. When the head of Neotone Records Anthony Reid (McAvoy) holds open auditions to find Scotland’s next great rap act, Gavin and Billy trek to London – where they’re summarily laughed out of the room by incredulous A&R employees.

Their egos bruised, the pair return to Dundee with a plan in mind: they are going to pose as rappers from Los Angeles, California, by adopting bad accents and remixing their music with their new voices. They immediately get a meeting with one label head (James Corden), which ends disastrously, before sneaking onto a bill with a show-stopping performance that grabs the attention of Neotone agent Tessa (Rebekah Murrell). 

You expect Gavin and Billy’s foolish plan to fall apart at any moment but, in a turn of events akin to The Producers, they become a major hit. The pair are afforded studio time (along with booze and drugs) to produce a single that eventually lands them on MTV, where they hope to expose themselves as Scottish and reveal the music business to be a sham. Instead, they become intoxicated by the supersonic-paced lifestyle. Gavin falls deep into drug-induced delusions of grandeur, while Billy betrays his steadfast girlfriend Mary (Lucy Halliday). Yet, the film’s commentary on the music business is never piercing because we are not granted a more detailed look at its inner workings or its systemic reach.   

While the script written by Archie Thomson and Elaine Gracie features sturdy characters, visuals are messier. McAvoy and cinematographer James Rhodes (Femme) love wide establishing shots and swinging into wide master shots, but compositions are often muddled. Yet, like most actors-turned-filmmakers, McAvoy knows how to pull inventive performances from his cast. Ross’s Gavin is an open wound with Elijah Wood all weirdo energy, while Bottomley’s Billy expresses tender emotions that break through the characters’ unearned bravado. Halliday also makes the most of her limited screen time, acting as the little bit of ground these two men haven’t burned. They along with the music—a brash mix of Beastie Boys silliness and a desperate desire to be seen — make this a memorable take on the hiphop movie.