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55% Critic Match
California Schemin'
“Get rich or try lying.”
5.5 / 10• 2026• 1h 47m•NR• English
MusicComedyDrama
Storyline
In the late 1990s, Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd had their musical ambitions consistently ridiculed for having the 'wrong' accents, so they went for broke and reinvented themselves as Californian rappers. The duo re-recorded their own tracks with fake accents and turned up in London claiming to be an established duo on the Cali scene as well as childhood friends with Eminem. They quickly bagged themselves a record deal, a hefty sum in advances, and an appearance on MTV... until it all came crashing down.
Cast & Crew
Séamus McLean Ross
Gavin Bain
Lead
Samuel Bottomley
Billy Boyd
Lucy Halliday
Mary Boyd
Rebekah Murrell
Tessa
James McAvoy
Anthony
JW
Jennifer Winn
Hayley
David Witts
Jez Barton
Sonny Poon Tip
Simon
What People Are Saying
3.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. James McAvoy's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
3.0
“Every frame feels alive. California Schemin' is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
