The Acid House (1998)

The available description gives no clear overall verdict. It identifies the film's triptych structure and its setting in Edinburgh.

Robinson finds the film uneven and occasionally annoying, but ultimately a vibrant, noisy shadow of Trainspotting. She praises Irvine Welsh’s bizarre creativity and inventive sadism, which give the stories style despite their lack of direction.

Kelly finds the film striking but a grim, uneven slog likely to appeal mainly to Irvine Welsh devotees. He praises Paul McGuigan’s direction for capturing Welsh’s tough tone and razor-sharp wit.

Caro finds the anthology too wild, weird and unpleasant to appeal beyond hardcore Irvine Welsh fans. He praises the cast but criticizes the stories for seeming designed to shock and offend.

The review finds the trilogy uneven, with a strong opening story followed by two disappointing segments. It praises the first tale’s imagination and offbeat energy, while faulting the rest for being poorly realized and tedious.

The critic finds the film a poor adaptation that drags and belongs on television rather than in cinemas. They acknowledge the stories are good, but say they lack substance and fail as a feature film.

The review appears to take a negative view of the film’s grim, episodic portrait of Edinburgh life. The inaccessible article text prevents confirming what the critic singled out for praise or complaint.

The critic finds the film grim and loveless, lacking the empathy and purpose of Trainspotting. They praise Kevin McKidd’s performance and single out the closing shot of A Soft Touch for its stark visual force.

The critic finds the film largely unwatchable, with only The Granton Star Cause working. They praise its surreal black humour, witty camera style and Maurice Roeves’s performance as God.