“People think it’s all about misery and desperation and death,” Renton says. “But what they forget is the pleasure of it.”
That line hits differently when you’re sober.
Thirty years after “Trainspotting” splashed onto screens with all its chaotic brilliance, the film still feels like a cinematic punch to the throat—one part humor, one part horror, and one part honesty so sharp it refuses to dull with time. Watching it again, especially through the lens of sobriety, is like revisiting an old wound you’ve learned how to live with, but never fully forget.
On The Sober Curator podcast, Alysse, Tamar, and Tony Harte gather for a roundtable deep dive into the movie’s grit, its genius, and everything in between. Their conversation is equal parts pop culture celebration and cultural autopsy—because “Trainspotting” doesn’t just entertain; it reveals.
And some reveals are uncomfortable.
The Film That Refused to Look Away
One of the reasons “Trainspotting” still holds its power is that it never glamorizes addiction. Not even for a second. Danny Boyle didn’t make a morality story, and he didn’t make trauma porn. He made a mirror—and every messy truth is reflected back with brutal clarity.
The infamous baby scene remains one of the rawest depictions of addiction’s collateral damage ever put on film. It’s not shock value. It’s heartbreak. It’s horror. It’s reality. And Tony points out that this is exactly why the movie stays relevant: it doesn’t let us hide from the consequences. It shows what it looks like when survival instincts override everything else.
That’s part of what makes the conversation so compelling. Tony notes the ritualistic nature of Renton’s detox attempt—the boards over the door, the lists, the rigid preparation. It’s funny and tragic, but it’s also familiar. Because addiction, no matter the substance, is ritual. It’s routine. It’s predictable in its chaos.
And watching Renton try to break the cycle is a reminder of how hard that rupture really is.
The Symbolism We Missed the First Time
Alysse invites Tony to share one of his unexpected takes: “Trainspotting” is surprisingly religious. Or at least spiritually coded.
Mother Superior acting as a warped higher power.
The toilet dive functioning as a baptism into clarity (however temporary).
The “Choose Life” monologue working like a sermon—an invitation to awaken, twisted by Renton’s addiction into defiance.
Viewed through this lens, the film becomes even more layered. Not a redemption arc—those come later in the book series—but a reminder that transformation is only possible after truth-telling. Trainspotting doesn’t offer recovery, but it does offer recognition. Sometimes that’s where healing begins.
The Characters Who Haunt Us
Among the chaotic ensemble, Tommy’s storyline cuts the deepest.
He’s the guy who swears he’ll never touch heroin.
He’s the guy whose life unravels from heartbreak, not curiosity.
He’s the guy who thinks he’s safe—until he’s not.
Every sober person has a Tommy in their life. Someone who believed they were immune. Someone who spiraled fast. Someone whose story reminds us that addiction doesn’t discriminate, and it doesn’t negotiate.
Tony highlights this arc not because it’s tragic, but because it’s true. And truth, no matter how old a film gets, doesn’t expire.
Why Sober People Still Feel This Film in Their Bones
When Alysse asks whether any modern film compares, the group can’t name one. Not Euphoria. Not Beautiful Boy. Not anything in recent memory. The difference? Tone.
“Trainspotting” isn’t interested in virtue signaling or aesthetic addiction. It’s messy, funny, ugly, and human. It’s the chaos before the clarity. It’s the spiral without the speech.
And maybe that’s why watching it sober is such an emotional experience.
You remember the pleasure.
You remember the pain.
You remember the chaos you don’t ever want back.
And you remember that laughter—dark, uncomfortable, involuntary—is sometimes part of survival too.
The Legacy That Still Matters
The film ends not with resolution, but intention. Renton chooses life—but he hasn’t lived it yet. The books fill in what happens next, but the movie leaves us in the in-between.
And that’s real. Sobriety is all about in-betweens. Choices made daily. Rituals broken and rebuilt. A future imagined but not yet lived.
Trainspotting doesn’t promise hope. But it does make space for it.
And sometimes, that’s enough.
The Sobees Movie Review Score: 4.5 out of 5
Listen to the Full Episode
If you’re ready for nostalgia, film nerdery, and a sober lens that brings clarity to the chaos, tune in to the full episode of The Sober Curator podcast. You’ll laugh, cringe, and maybe rethink your favorite 90s movie in the best possible way.
Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. That’s the whole premise.
The Sober Curator Podcast brings sober lifestyle, pop culture and recovery to the mic with personality, perspective and a glitter bomb of honesty. Founder and host Alysse Bryson (sober since May 1, 2006, and self-described Kevin Bacon of Recovery) is joined by co-host and show producer Tamar Routly of Podcast Impact Studio, plus a rotating bench of global Sober Curator contributors who pull up a chair as co-hosts.
What we cover, episode to episode:
Happy Every Hour: zero-proof drinks, NA beer, spirits and cocktails, reviewed by people who actually drink them.
Health and Wellness: mental health, physical health and what recovery looks like on a Tuesday.
Lifestyle: dating, parenting, shopping, style and the everyday logistics of alcohol-free living.
Entertainment: quit lit, movies, TV, music, sports and celebrity sobriety, rated with our proprietary Sobees.
Spiritual Gangster: Jesus to astrology, stoicism to the Celtic calendar.
Travel: sober events, sober retreats, Sobriety in the City and global travel without a drink in hand.
We also review other sober podcasts on Recovery Podcastland, dig into sponsored product spotlights, and go deep with contributors on how they got sober and what keeps them there. New episodes drop as video on YouTube and audio everywhere you listen.
Want more? BACKSTAGE with The Sober Curator is our membership community with Media Nights, Studio Nights, Edutainment Nights and The Sober Curator Mixtape, a monthly mini-zine delivered in a cassette case. Details at https://thesobercurator.com/backstage-with-the-sober-curator/
Whether you’re sober curious or decades in, we’ve got you. We’re not here to help you get sober. We’re here to help you live sober and love it.
Rate, review and subscribe. It takes 60 seconds and we will love you forever.
Contact: thesobercurator@gmail.com
A.J. Daulerio got sober in the middle of the Hulk Hogan trial. Three months in, every defect of character he had was being read to a jury. He calls it fourth step dinner theater.
Then he built The Small Bow, the recovery publication Alysse was embarrassed she didn’t know about: literary essays, free Zoom meetings every day of the week, a podcast, and now a book. Two magazine people and a producer try to name the category they’re in, and mostly fail.
In this episode:
- Why AJ interviews himself in the car (and who he pretends is asking)
- “Sober BuzzFeed” vs. “literary meat”: what each of us is building and who it’s for
- The Harper’s story about AA that made AJ pay $100 a year, and why nobody writes for people who are past rock bottom and a little adrift
- Abstinence, sobriety, recovery: why 12-step is one of nine things AJ does
- The Hulk Hogan trial, the Uber driver who didn’t care, and the lesson in humility
- The Small Book, out Dec. 29
Heads up: this one goes to some dark places, including a reader AJ lost and a friend Alysse lost. Take care while listening.
CHAPTERS
00:00 The train, off the tracks
01:28 AJ interviews himself in the car
05:34 How Alysse found The Small Bow
11:39 “Chicken soup for the dark night of the soul”
14:40 Are we wellness? Sound baths and trust falls
15:19 Sober ten years, and the problems get classier
18:54 Abstinence, sobriety, recovery: 12-step is one of nine
26:35 The Harper’s story that started everything
29:58 Literary meat vs. sober BuzzFeed
41:15 Fourth step dinner theater: the Hulk Hogan trial
46:57 “I’m the writer. I’m the human.”
48:47 “So you met Hulk Hogan?”
57:17 What AJ would tell year one
01:01:59 “Fast-forward to the part they get sober”
Sober Shots:
“You’re allowed to build your whole life around a routine nobody will ever write a headline about.” (Alysse Bryson)
“All the things that I thought were being taken away from me were also the things I needed to let go of the most.” (A.J. Daulerio)
Mentioned in this episode:
– The Small Bow – The Small Book, out Dec. 29 – I’m The Sober Curator, and I Just Found The Small Bow – S2E17 with Paulina Pinsky – Backstage with The Sober Curator
Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more.
SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/
SC RESOURCES:
– Meet the Contributors – Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide – Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide – LGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide – Family Resource Guide
CONNECT: www.thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest
Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: thesobercurator@gmail.com
Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice.
Music: TSC S2 theme “Sober Shots” created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno’s commercial license.
MUSIC – PLAY IT AGAIN! “Lust for Life” – The Ultimate Recovery Anthem on a Soundtrack to One of the Druggiest Films Ever Made?
MOVIE NIGHT WITH THE SOBER CURATOR: Movies Filmed before 2009 That Feature Addiction as Central Theme
MOVIE NIGHT WITH THE SOBER CURATOR: is your go-to guide for films and documentaries that intricately weave addiction, recovery, and mental health into powerful storytelling. Think of us as your bee-zy movie critics, curating a hive of must-watch titles that inspire, educate, and spark conversation.
Our review archives are neatly organized into Drama, Dramedy, and Documentary categories, making it easy to find your next captivating watch. Whether you’re in the mood for a heartfelt indie, a laugh-through-the-tears comedy, or a thought-provoking doc, we’ve got you covered.
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Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
