Marching Powder (2025) - Danny tries Trainspotting 

Believe it or not, I'm actually quite a fan of Danny Dyer.  I don't expect he'll ever win any Oscars, but he's watchable enough to be amusing if given the right role/material.  However, 'Marching Powder' tries hard to blend gritty realism with cheeky British humor, but the result feels a bit confused. The film seems to believe it can channel the spirit of 'Trainspotting' — complete with drug-fueled escapades, introspective monologues and moments of grim social commentary. Unfortunately, it lacks both the talent and the depth to pull it off.

Dyer, while a decent enough actor in the right role, struggles here with the dramatic readings of his lines. His trademark cockney banter and rough-edged charm aren't up to the film’s attempts at serious character development.  It’s as if someone thought, “What if we made a cockney version of Trainspotting?” — only to forget that those introspective, tortured inner monologues don’t quite land without an actor of Ewan McGregor’s emotional range and sheer antihero qualities.

The film isn’t without merit: a few scenes carry that familiar Dyer energy and the direction captures the grime and chaos of London’s underbelly and social tensions.  But the tone is all over the place — one moment it’s a dark comedy, the next it’s a gritty morality play and neither fully sticks the landing.

In the end, 'Marching Powder' feels like a a decent attempt for Dyer to try to be more than his previous roles, but, although it wants to be profound, it ends up as a muddled showcase of him doing only bits of what he does best.

5/10