Content Advisory: Needles or drug addiction
Belfast hoodlums form an Irish Gaelic rap group in Kneecap. Liam Óg “Mo Chara” Ó Hannaidh and Naoise “Móglaí Bap” Ó Cairealláin are two Belfast drug dealers, who insist on speaking the Irish language as taught to them by Naoise’s Irish Republican father Arlo (Michael Fassbender). While Liam is detained and questioned by Detective Ellis (Josie Walker), music teacher JJ Ó Dochartaigh is brought in as an interpreter and sneaks away with Liam’s notebook of Irish language rap lyrics. Impressed by the lyrics, JJ offers to create beats for Liam and Naoise as DJ Próvaí, wearing an Irish flag balaclava to avoid being identified by students. Soon the rap trio named “Kneecap” became a sensation for their heavily politicized lyrics, drawing attention from the wrong people.
Kneecap Synopsis
Kneecap is a music biography dramedy co-written and directed by Rich Peppiatt. The film tells the story of the formation of the titular Northern Irish rap trio, with the members Liam Óg “Mo Chara” Ó Hannaidh, Naoise “Móglaí Bap” Ó Cairealláin, and JJ “DJ Próvaí” Ó Dochartaigh playing fictionized versions of themselves. They are joined by Michael Fassbender (Next Goal Wins) as Naoise’s fugitive father Arlo, Simone Kirby as Arlo’s shut-in wife Dolores, and Jessica Reynolds (The Curse of Audry Earnshaw) as Liam’s love/hate girlfriend Georgia.
The plot of Kneecap takes place in West Belfast in 2019, during which time the Irish Language Act is tabled to protect the native Gaelic language of Ireland. Taught the language as children, Liam and Naoise end up creating incredibly politicized rap lyrics in Irish, receiving notoriety for phrases such as “Brits Out.” However, their reputation as drug dealers attracts the attention of both the police and a group calling themselves Radical Republicans Against Drugs.
My Thoughts on Kneecap
Kneecap is quite an entertaining biopic that comes across as a mix between 8-Mile and Trainspotting. Even if you weren’t previously familiar with Kneecap as a rap trio, the film does a good job of bringing you up to speed. Each of the songs in the film is presented in a music video style, complete with stylized subtitles for the Irish lyrics.
Kneecap also provides a glimpse into the life of Irish-Catholic youth, who describe themselves as the “Ceasefire Babies,” having been born after the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 that ended most of the violence of The Troubles. Liam and Naoise’s insistence on speaking predominantly in the Irish language is their way of protesting the continuing status of Northern Ireland as a part of Great Britain.
In a similar vein, Kneecap follows on the heels of 2022’s Oscar-nominated The Quiet Girl for being a film, where are least 60% of the dialogue is in Irish Gaelic. The film even makes a joke of this fact in a scene where a police officer interrogating Liam has to complain about having to read subtitles. As the preservation of the Irish language is a core aspect of the plot of Kneecap, it is indeed a plus that the film features the majority of the cast, including Michael Fassbender speaking it.
Whether or not you are a fan of hip-hop, Irish or not, Kneecap ends up being an immensely crown-pleasing and enjoyable biopic of the titular trio.