The Acid House (1998)

45% of critics liked it
(20 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(7,820 ratings)

This adaptation of three stories from Irvine Welsh's short-story collection of the same name reunites Annie Louise Ross, Kevin McKidd, and Ewen Bremner from the author's previous cinematic success, Trainspotting, which was also set in the author's native North Edinburgh. In the… More This adaptation of three stories from Irvine Welsh's short-story collection of the same name reunites Annie Louise Ross, Kevin McKidd, and Ewen Bremner from the author's previous cinematic success, Trainspotting, which was also set in the author's native North Edinburgh. In the Kafka-esque "The Granton Star Cause," a lazy amateur footballer (Stephen McCole) has a very, very bad day that culminates in God (Maurice Roeves) turning him into an insect. In "A Soft Touch," a young husband and father (McKidd) finds his life disrupted when a psychotic neighbor (Gary McCormack) takes up with his wife (Michelle Gomez) and invades his wretched tenement. And in "The Acid House," a druggie low-life (Bremner) experiences a Freaky Friday-style body switch with the infant son of a pair of self-involved yuppies. After "The Granton Star Cause" was screened separately at the Edinburgh Film Festival, the completed film was shown at Cannes in 1998. The title is a play on the term "acid house," a form of sinister dance music that emerged in Chicago in the mid-'80s and helped fuel the formative years of England's rave culture. Former Doctor Who actor Maurice Roeves, who plays God in "The Granton Star Cause," also has cameos in the other two segments. Jemma Redgrave, niece of Lynn and Vanessa Redgrave and cousin of Natasha and Joely Richardon, appears in the title segment and lends her Bjork-haired visage to the film's poster. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

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Directed By: Paul McGuigan
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Sep 1, 1998 Wide
Studio: Zeitgeist Films

Critic Reviews

David Luty, Film Journal International
What the three stories do share are solid ideas all dressed up with nowhere to go.
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
Cheap and unpleasant, yet compelling
Bill Gibron, DVDTalk.com
The Acid House is an intriguing travelogue to Scotland's sour subdivisions, filled with burned out buildings and even more vacant dreams.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
If I could give this movie a negative rating, I would.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
...assaults our jaded senses...

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Anthony L

Great film/s! The Granton Star Cause & The Acid House being the best! A great adaption from Paul McGuigan!
Michael G

A weak adaptation of Welsh's short stories. A few interesting parts, but you're better off reading the book or seeing Trainspotting.
Daniel D

The Acid House is a vulgar and perverted literary adaption, of three short stories, in the Scottish slums. It is loaded with profanity, and makes the viewer feel like trash, just by watching. Coming into the viewing I heard nothing of it, but judging it's negative critical… More
The Acid House is a vulgar and perverted literary adaption, of three short stories, in the Scottish slums. It is loaded with profanity, and makes the viewer feel like trash, just by watching. Coming into the viewing I heard nothing of it, but judging it's negative critical reception, and lack of publicity, it's one of the most underrated films I ever encountered. It was hysterical black humor, and probably the best film I've seen from the nineties. The first story follows Boab, a lazy lump of dirt, who looses everything in a matter of a few hours. After a bar man philosophical meeting with God, he is turned into a fly. The meeting was surprisingly deep, and asks the true question of "why don't we use our powers". As a fly he gets revenge, and sees with the audience a scene of incredible disturbance. Then there's the most emotionally dwelling story "The Soft Touch". A truly caring but naive man, marries and impregnates a whore. Obviously enough she openly cheats on him, and everything goes down, for the man with no escape. The setting was tense, and while the ending was anti-climatic, it was the most well made of the shorts. Finally there's the story that the film invests the most effort into, The Acid House. This was absolutely, the best midnight humor I've ever came across. Dirty, crazy, and makes Trainspotting, look like it copped out. A dope head switches bodies with a newly born baby, and while switch of bodies has become a comedy cliche, this one actually made it work. I laughed eccentrically and it really completed the film, if there's any reason to finish it, here you go. In conclusion I can't explain my love for this film enough. The score and white trash setting put a mood. The small things like the graffiti and the bigger aspects such as the characters all had there contribution. I laughed and could still take the next scene with seriousness. The Acid House is not acclaimed nearly enough. I highly recommended to anyone who's willing to vitiate there brain, for two hours. I hoe all will love it as much as myself, though that's unlikely
Alex F

Funny, but only the third story is good.

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Cast

Stephen McCole
as Boab [The Granton Star Cause]
Maurice Roëves
as God [The Granton Star Cause], The Drunk ...
Garry Sweeney
as Kev [The Granton Star Cause]
Jenny McCrindle
as Evelyn [The Granton Star Cause]
Morgan Simpson
as Chantal Baby [A Soft Touch]
Simon Weir
as Tambo [The Granton Star Case]
Marnie Kidd
as Chantal Toddler [A Soft Touch]
Iaian Andrew
as [The Granton Star Cause]
Irvine Welsh
as Parkie [The Granton Star Case]
Alison Peebles
as Mother [A Soft Touch]
Pat Stanton
as Barman [The Granton Star Case]
Joanne Riley
as Diana [A Soft Touch]
Sarah Gudgeon
as New Girl [A Soft Touch]
Alex Howden
as Boab Snr [The Granton Star Case]
Katie Echlin
as Wendy [A Soft Touch]
Annie Louise Ross
as [The Granton Star Cause]
Dennis O'Connor
as PC Cochrane [The Granton Star Case]
William "Giggs" McGuigan
as Pub Singer [A Soft Touch]
John Gardner
as Sgt. Morrison [The Granton Star Case]
Kevin Mckidd
as Johnny [A Soft Touch]
Michelle Gomez
as Catriona [A Soft Touch]
Barbara Rafferty
as Dr. Callaghan [The Acid House]
Tam Dean Burn
as Alec [A Soft Touch]
Stephen Docherty
as Nurse Boyd [The Acid House]
Gary McCormack
as Workmate [The Granton Star Case]
Scott Imrie
as Pool Player [A Soft Touch]
Ronnie McCann
as Andy [The Acid House]
Niall Greig Furlton
as [A Soft Touch]
William Blair
as Deck [A Soft Touch]
Cas Harkins
as Skanko [A Soft Touch The Acid House]
Ewen Bremner
as Coco [The Acid House]
Martin Clunes
as Rory [The Acid House]
Jemma Redgrave
as Jenny [The Acid House]
Arlene Cockburn
as Kirsty [The Acid House]
Jane Stabler
as Emma [The Acid House]
Doug Eadie
as Coco's Father [The Acid House]
Andrea McKenna
as [The Acid House]
Malcolm Shields
as Workmate [The Granton Star Case]
Billy McElhaney
as Felix the Paramedic [The Acid House]
Stewart Preston
as Rafferty [The Granton Star Case]
Ricky Callan
as Tam the Driver [The Acid House]

See more (41)

The Acid House (1998)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Anthony L

Michael G

Daniel D

Alex F

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