TORONTO – Every year, there is a high-profile actor or two who takes a seat behind the camera for the first time. The past four months have seen notable names such as Harris Dickinson, Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Stewart, Maude Apatow, and John Early take that step with their feature directorial debut. Some are more successful than others. You can add James McAvoy to the talented portion of that list after his first directorial effort, “California Schemin’,” premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival this past weekend.
There are true stories that are hard to believe, and there are true stories that sound like they came from the mind of an overly ambitious Hollywood screenwriter. The short career of Silibil N’ Brains, a California rap duo who were on the verge of hitting it big in the U.K., is a combination of both. Not only were the two rappers not from California, they weren’t even American. They were Billy Boyd (Samuel Bottomley) and Gavin Bain (Séamus McLean Ross), two best friends from Dundee, Scotland, working in a call center trying to coax customers to upgrade their internet service. At least, that’s the gist of the mostly true story the movie is telling (there are definitely some creative liberties at play, but that’s what Wikipedia is for).
READ MORE: Fall Film 2025 Preview: 61 Movies To Watch
It’s 2003, and Billy and Gavin are the textbook definition of best buddies with very different personalities. Gavin is quiet, introspective, and awkward. He’s borderline obsessive about his music and hip-hop dreams. Billy, on the other hand, is the charismatic wonder who can win almost everyone over. He wants to help Billy hit it big, but is also deeply in love with his girlfriend, Mary (Lucy Halliday, fantastic), who supportively puts up with the boys’ rapping daydreams. When Gavin learns a major record label is holding a contest to sign the next big music act, the pair takes the long bus ride down to Scotland to audition. As Billy feared, the too “posh” record execs don’t even let them finish their performance (“it’s not what we’re looking for”). Gavin is crushed, and partially to cheer him up, Billy comes up with a plan to get back at the label, and Silibil N’ Brains is born.
If they can pull it off, the Scots will convince audiences and music labels they are rappers from Los Angeles traveling across Europe. And they will lie about their background, saying they opened for the hip-hop group D12 as a calling card to get in the door. Despite perfecting their accents and doing the appropriate “research” (they randomly pick Hemet, CA, of all places, as their hometown), they still get shot down by the first tasteless music exec willing to speak to them (James Corden, why). Then, a more confident, or maybe desperate, Gavin decides to make his own luck.
READ MORE: Toronto Film Fest 2025 Preview: 35 Must-See Movies To Watch
The night they are supposed to return north, the duo sneaks into a popular hip-hop club, locks the opening act in their dressing room, and gives their demo to the soundbooth. They go on stage for the first time ever and perform in front of a predominantly black audience. After an awkward start, they slowly win them over (it doesn’t hurt that the music is pretty good on its own). They still get thrown out of the venue, but Tessa (Rebekah Murrell, perfect), an assistant/scout hoping to become an A&R executive, gives them her card. Within days, they are sitting in front of the top executive at her company, Anthony (McAvoy), who, impressed by their demo, signs them on the spot.
From the beginning of this folly, Billy and Gavin agreed their end goal was to get back at the British music industry by admitting who they really were at the most ideal moment (in this case, an appearance on MTV UK). It wasn’t about individual success, but the hypocrisy of the industry. And yet, as the boys become more ingrained in the process, start making new tracks, and enjoy the high life in London, it becomes harder for them to admit their con, even as the guardrails around the hoax start to crack.
To be fair, the narrative of Silibil N’ Brains is pretty straightforward. The “Based On A True Story” title card tells the audience that even if they had never heard about the group, the boys are never going to get away with it. McAvoy knows this, too. And by making sure the focus stays on Gavin, whose life begins to shatter, he starts to craft something special. It partially works because of McAvoy’s steady hand, but mostly because of Ross’ incredible performance.
Relatively new on the scene (he just appeared on the most recent season of “Outlander: Blood of My Blood”), Ross demonstrates a depth of sensitivity as Gavin that’s simply startling. Bottomley is no slouch either, but the movie essentially becomes Gavin’s story, and you have to root for him even when he does some cringeworthy, unthinkable things. Ross makes sure you do.
McAvoy has stated that in helming his first feature, his goals were to make a film about the working-class people of Scotland without the stereotypes (done) and, ultimately, to entertain. Thanks to Ross and Bottomley, and their charismatic rapping skills (yes, you believe they could top the charts), he’s pulled that off as well. He also made a movie about the addiction of dreams and the temptation of fame that side steps as many familiar tropes as possible (not an easy task). Did making this film satisfy that directing itch?
Over the decades, many big stars have ended up directing compelling pictures only to step back in front of the camera (it’s easier to get hired for a role than to put a package together). At the very least, “California Schemin’” is an impressive calling card that suggests McAvoy shouldn’t make this project a one-time wonder. Selfishly, let’s hope he doesn’t. [B]
Follow along for all our coverage of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival,
