‘Trainspotting’ ending explained: Who gets the money?
One of the best British films ever made and one of the finest to emerge from independent cinema anywhere in the world during the 1990s, Trainspotting achieved the rare feat of attaining instant classic status and launching several careers all at once.
Director Danny Boyle’s second feature was an uncompromising, unflinching, and harrowing look at the harsh realities of drug addiction and the inescapable socio-economic realities those dealing with substance abuse regularly find themselves in, shot through with a rich vein (pun partially intended) of jet-black humour.
Instead of being typecast of pigeonholed as a result of its success, the Trainspotting cast – Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, Kevin McKidd, and Kelly Macdonald among them – all went on to enjoy sustained success as actors, while the film itself was held up as a beacon of the ‘Cool Britannia’ movement despite dealing with such haunting circumstances and events.
Another key part of the film’s long-lasting appeal is the music, with the Trainspotting soundtrack selling copies by the bucketload, turning Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust for Life’ into an anthem for a brand new generation. McGregor’s Renton anchors the story from start to finish, and that carries right through to the final scene, where he makes a bold decision entirely in the name of self-preservation.
Much like the Trainspotting book by Irvine Welsh, Boyle’s movie culminates with Renton, Spud, Sick Boy, and Begbie preparing for a drug deal. Having agreed to cover the remaining cost of a heroin purchase that stands to net the quartet £16,000, Renton experiences a moment of clarity the night before the deal.
So, what happens to the money at the end of Trainspotting?
He’s already gauged Spud’s interest in stealing the money and running away, but Begbie’s vicious assault on a man in the pub strikes them with even more fear. Going ahead and doing it anyway, Renton takes the money and leaves while the others are still asleep, with Spud refusing to raise the alarm despite catching him red-handed in the midst of absconding.
However, he does leave £4,000 for Spud after deciding that he hasn’t hurt anybody, making a vow to clean up and turn his life around. Echoing his first monologue, Trainspotting ends with Renton promising to become that which he’d initially rebelled against: a functional, secure, and stable member of society.
He may have weaned himself off the drugs, but he was still lacking in purpose and hope for the future, at least until he became thousands of pounds richer. Putting his toxic associates in the rear-view mirror, Renton is making a concerted attempt to shatter his cycle of self-destruction once and for all, thanks to his newly-found riches.
As he says, “Now I’m cleaning up, and I’m moving on, going straight and choosing life. I’m looking forward to it already,” something he wouldn’t have been able to do had he not betrayed his friends and ran off with their money.