Mark Renton tries together with his friends (thieves, liars, psychos, junkies and losers) to add color to the everyday life of an unemployed young person in Edinburgh. Their life consists mainly of drinking beer, going out, drugs and playing football, and in this way they try to get through the '90s. Due to various events, Mark decides to choose a new life that he wants to build away from his past in London. When one of his former friends, Begbie gets into trouble in Edinburgh, he seeks shelter with Mark. When the others also arrive, Mark seems to quickly pick up his old lifestyle under the pressure of his Scottish friends club. Still, he keeps asking himself: Do I really want to choose life?