James McAvoy has shown off his talents not just as a performer, but as a producer too. And now, he turns to directing with California Schemin'. Turns out McAvoy has a deft hand when it comes to directing, creating a musical biopic full of energy and surprising attention to detail.
A ridiculous true story, California Schemin' centres on Gavin Bain (Seamus McLean Ross) and Billy Boyd (Samuel Bottomley), two young Scots with dreams of being rap stars. After an open call audition with a major record label goes terribly because the executives can't take their accents seriously, the boys enact a plan: reinvent themselves as American rappers—Silibil N' Brains—to secure record deals and reveal they're actually Scottish at the height of fame to call out the music industry. Problem is, their overnight success makes each of them spiral with devastating effect.
Whilst California Schemin' doesn't reinvent the wheel, McAvoy and his crew bring a kineticism that breathes life into the film. Working with cinematographer James Rhodes, they have fun with the camera; shooting from unconventional angles and utilising tools like split diopters. The fast-paced editing matches the speed of Silibil N' Brains' rapid ascension, but the film does slow down at crucial points to hammer home how destructive fame can be.
It's what makes California Schemin' stand out; McAvoy, and Bain himself as an executive producer, not only show the physical and mental toll of instant fame, but take the time to show how the prank affects the people in their orbit with nuance and depth. Mary (Lucy Halliday), Billy's partner, isn't completely shoved to the sidelines as other music biopics might have done, and is instead a rich character that pushes the boys to see the light as they become lost in their alter egos. We get to see Gavin and Billy's psyches unravel as they lose themselves, which is devastating after spending a good chunk of the first act getting to know these likeable, plucky lads.
McLean Ross and Bottomley are clearly having a blast not just playing Gavin and Billy, but playing them as Silibil and Brains. It's easy to see how they got away with the plan; their bonkers, childish behaviour is infectiously endearing. But the leads also get to show their acting chops, with Bottomley portraying the anxiety of losing loved ones, and McLean Ross' heart-wrenching work as Bain loses all sense of identity. McAvoy does step in front of the camera as a Malcolm Tucker-esque music mogul (which is a lot of fun), whilst Halliday provides a ton of heart.
McAvoy doesn't come out of the gate with a distinct directorial voice, but California Schemin' is a superbly made thrill ride with an edge. Hopefully the famed actor makes room in his schedule to step behind the camera again.
California Schemin' screened at the 2025 Dinard British & Irish Film Festival.
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