10 Terrifying Characters In Non-Horror Movies

Begbie is that nightmarish mate who’ll unpredictably take umbrage with a benign comment. He’s the malignant presence in your local, waiting for an opportunity to start trouble. The monster lurking at the heart of Trainspotting may be addiction, but Begbie haunts the film like a particularly punchy spirit.

Played with incredible verve and menace by Robert Carlyle, Begbie is an infuriatingly self righteous presence. Hanging out with a collection of heroin addicts, he takes great pride in not being a user (though he packs away pints and recreational drugs). He is a violence addict, inciting brawls for his own amusement, carelessly hurling pint glasses from a pub balcony then causing a ruckus in his search for the culprit. No one likes Begbie, but there’s no ousting him either. Once he’s part of your group of friends, who’s going to be the one to tell him to get lost?

Begbie returns in Trainspotting’s sequel, and while the years have added further bitterness to the character, he has learned no lessons from his long stretch in prison. People may be capable of change, but Begbie certainly isn’t.