Five must-see films shot in Glasgow including Trainspotting and where to watch them

Scotland’s biggest city has become a popular spot for making movies in recent years.

Cinema-goers can currently see Glasgow feature in two of the year’s biggest releases – standing in for 1960s New York and Gotham City in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ and ‘The Flash’ respectively.

The city has provided the backdrop for many celluloid stories, from tiny independent productions to enormous Hollywood blockbusters. Here are 5 of them.

Trainspotting (rent from £2.49 on Google Play)

It’s seen as the archetypal Edinburgh film, but much of Danny Boyle’s adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s novel was filmed in Glasgow. Locations used include the former Crosslands pub in Queen Margaret Drive, Jordanhill School, the former Volcano nightclub in the West End, Maryhill’s Cafe d’Jaconelli, Firhill Sports Complex and Rouken Glen Park.

Under The Skin (ITVX)

Jonathan Glazer’s critically-acclaimed movie about an alien preying on men in Scotland used guerilla filming techniques to film Scarlett Johansson approaching members of the public/victims using hidden cameras. Hunting grounds in Glasgow include Argyle Street, Buchanan Galleries and Celtic Park.

World War Z (rent from £2.49 on Amazon)

One of the first big blockbusters to use Glasgow as a stand-in for an American city was Brad Pitt’s 2013 zombie horror – with more than 1,200 cast and crew filming in a George Square transformed to look like Philadelphia. Reviews were mixed, but it was a big box office hit and acted as a great showcase for Glasgow within the filmmaking community.

My Name is Joe (rent for 99p on AppleTV)

Ken Loach’s romantic drama saw Peter Mullan win the Best Actor prize at Cannes for his portayal of a recovering alcoholic who falls in love with his health visitor. Much of the film is set in Glasgow’s council estates, with locals featuring in many of the smaller roles. Loach has made several other films in the city, including 2012’s ‘The Angels' Share’.

Red Road (BFI Player)

They may have been demolished in 2015, but the 30-storey Red Road flats in north-east Glasgow live on in Andrea Arnold’s psychological drama starring Kate Dickie, Tony Curran, and Martin Compston. The story about a grieving widow who spots a familiar face while working as a CCTV operator won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2006.