Learn more about the real Irish-language hip-hop trio Kneecap in this unconventional and tongue-in-cheek crime comedy.
It’s unusual to watch a biographical film about a musical act that’s relatively new and under the radar – but Kneecap are not your average group.
Set in West Belfast, this hilarious semi-autobiographical film follows childhood best friends and drug dealers Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (stage name Mo Chara) and Naoise Ó Cairealláin (Móglaí Bap) as they meet school teacher JJ Ó Dochartaigh (DJ Próvaí) and form the real Irish-language hip-hop trio.
The group, who formed in 2017, court controversy with their eyebrow-raising lyrics, which are leaden with swear words, drug references and anti-British sentiment.
Their music sparks a debate about whether they’re helping or harming the campaign to get Irish recognised as an official language in Northern Ireland (this came to pass in 2022).
You don’t generally see films about musical acts in the infancy of their career, especially when they’re not particularly well-known outside of their home country. But this is not a serious biopic and you don’t have to know about them beforehand.
Kneecap is a heavily fictionalised crime comedy that’s as wild and raucous as the band.
The bandmates play heightened versions of themselves so well that you’ll become convinced they’re professional actors – they are just so natural on-screen.
They are supported by some recognisable faces, particularly Michael Fassbender as Bap’s father, a staunch Irish republican.
Out of the trio, DJ Provai stands out the most because he goes on the biggest transformation from a ‘normal’ school teacher to a balaclava-wearing DJ with ‘Brits Out’ on his buttocks. It’s not your average trajectory!
The film mirrors Kneecap’s musical vibe – anarchic, provocative and anti-establishment and filled with drugs, sex and swearing. It feels like the Irish-language version of Trainspotting in many ways.
Writer/director Rich Peppiatt has created a hilarious film with a tongue-in-cheek and irreverent tone and a very specific sense of humour, which is established early on with the opening narration, on-screen illustrations and one of the group’s foot-tapping tunes.
Kneecap won an Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and it’s easy to see why – it is an absolute crowd-pleaser. Strap in and immerse yourself in the world of Kneecap!
In cinemas from Friday 23rd August.
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