Authenticity is the central theme of James McAvoy’s directorial debut, California Schemin’. It approaches the subject from a number of interesting directions, and it adds a real weight to what is otherwise a fairly standard rise and fall narrative; albeit a very well-made one based on a very out-of-the-ordinary true story. Taking the tale of rap due Silibil N’ Brains, previously documented in The Great Hip Hop Hoax, it’s an entertaining, exuberantly performed work that asks how can you remain true to yourself when you’re lying to everyone around you?

In the early 2000s in Dundee, aspiring rappers Gavin Bain (Séamus McLean Ross) and Billy Boyd (Samuel Bottomley) are mortified to be laughed out of an audition by London-based A&R types, dismissed as sounding like the, ‘rapping Proclaimers’. Fuelled by both a righteous anger and a weaponised sense of mischief, they adopt faux Californian accents and manage to get their foot in the door as an American novelty in the UK hip-hop scene. Success beckons, but when the time comes to reveal their subterfuge as planned, one of the duo proves reticent to give up the lie.

The two leads anchor a charming Scottish working class spin on both the well-worn musical biopic and other artistic hoaxes like those of JT Leroy, and James Frey‘s largely fabricated memoir, A Million Little Pieces. The bond between Gavin and Billy is the film’s focus, with an excellent Lucy Halliday (about to come to wider prominence with her leading role in The Testaments) providing the grounding, beating heart as Billy’s loyal girlfriend – and oft-ignored voice of reason – Mary. McAvoy himself provides gruff, obnoxious support as Silibil N’Brains’ label boss, but largely stays out of his leads’ limelight. His direction is similarly unshowy, but excels in the live scenes, both in the cramped sweatboxes of the early gigs and a rammed, showstopping performance at the Barrowlands (which, as anyone who’s attended that venue over the years can tell you, usefully needed absolutely zero effort production-wise to be period accurate).

With the manic energy of its central pairing, and a narrative whose beats will be familiar even if its specific story isn’t, California Schemin’ moves at a scorching pace. It’s perhaps almost too zippy for its own good, and could almost barrel out of one’s consciousness as quickly as it appears if it wasn’t for a darker edge and its development of its theme. Both are embodied by McLean Ross’ Gavin (whose memoir is the basis for the story), who wears his new persona a little more snugly than Billy. A suit of armour as much as a disguise, Californian Gavin is more confident and outgoing, and ultimately enamoured with the trappings of success.

In Gavin, there’s a Matroshka Doll-level of playing with the idea of authenticity. One can argue that two Dundonian scallies rapping is a world away from the authentic roots of hip-hop to begin with. That aside, there is the setting aside of his authenticity as a musician – it’s important to note that the pair’s talent is never in doubt throughout the film – and his authenticity as a person. The cracks begin to show when Brains becomes foremost, and Gavin pushes back against the idea of revealing their deceit, to which the more grounded Billy remains committed. These moments amount to more than a simple falling out, exploring darker existential territory and adding some welcome rougher texture as Gavin apporoaches an increasingly scary place mentally.

Overall, it’s a heartfelt debut from James McAvoy who, inkeeping with the themes of the film, wanted to tell an authentically Scottish story. The man himself stated that in the 30 years since Trainspotting, there hasn’t been a Scottish film that’s lodged itself in the public consciousness to anywhere near the same extent, an opinion with which its difficult to argue. Whether California Schemin’ is the film to buck that trend is debatable – it’s far less visually and narratively inventive for a start – but it’s great that someone with McAvoy’s standing in the industry is committed to telling Scottish stories with talent and, yes, authenticity.

At cinemas nationwide from Fri 10 Apr 2026