KNEECAP (2024) review
written by: Rich Peppiatt, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin
JJ Ó Dochartaigh (story) & Rich Peppiatt (screenplay)
produced by: Jack Tarling and Trevor Birney
directed by: Rich Peppiatt
rated: R (for pervasive drug content and language, sexual content/nudity and some violence)
runtime: 105 min.
U.S. release date: August 2, 2024 & December 2, 2024 (Netflix)
“Kneecap” is the story about a Northern Irish hip-hop trio called Kneecap, starring the members of the actual trio as themselves. It’s a fictional account of their uncanny rise to fame in West Belfast in the late 2010s, written and directed by English-born Irishman Rich Peppiatt; he came up with the idea when he saw the trio perform live in 2019. It’s his feature film debut after making documentaries, shorts, and music videos (many for Kneecap), and it’s more than just a frenetic and irreverent ride. It also provides a glimpse of Irish history while presenting a desire to keep a native Irish language alive at a time when the majority are okay with forgetting about it altogether.
Set in 2019. the film opens with a snarky voiceover narration that tells what is typically seen in just about every movie set in Belfast. A grainy film reel shows a montage of bombs going off in Irish streets and cars exploding, which is what happened during The Troubles, the often violent conflict primarily between Irish Nationalists and Republicans (who were mainly Irish Catholics) that occurred from the 1960s to the 1990s. The voice we hear is one of three protagonists, rapper Liam Óg “Mo Charra” Ó hAnnaidh, who promises this will be a different Northern Ireland story.
A flashback scene opens the film, introducing its comic tone while establishing that Northern Ireland’s politics and tradition are inseparable. Liam describes the details of his best friend and bandmate, Naoise “Móglaí Bap” Ó Cairealláin’s baptism as if it were a fable passed on for generations. As a baby, Naoise’s parents brought him to a remote forest with a priest and a small congregation, a place where Irish Catholics used to worship after the Tudors banned their religion. While it was likely explained to Naoise that it was the light of God that beamed down during the ceremony, the reality is that it was a British chopper shining a spotlight on the IRA training area they happened to be in. While his mother, Dolores Uí Cairealláin (Simone Kirby), takes cover with everyone else, Naoise’s father, Arlo Ó Cairealláin (Michael Fassbender), stands firm in defiance with his middle finger raised to the sky.
Indeed, defiance and rebellion are something that Naoise “Móglaí Bap” Ó Cairealláin inherited from his father, who raised him and his best friend Liam to speak Irish just as it started to dwindle. In 2019 Belfast, even fewer people are keeping the native language alive. Arlo has been on the run for the past 10 years due to his involvement in a paramilitary group and has since decided to fake his death – although Naoise is aware of his mortal status, often meeting up with his father. These aren’t great father/son bonding moments, as Arlo is usually quite critical of Naoise’s hedonistic lifestyle. Meanwhile, Arlo’s absence has left Dolores depressed and agoraphobic, which further fuels Naoise’s resentment of Arlo and confounds his admiration of him.
One night, Liam is arrested at a wild party for possession of drugs. Since he refuses to speak English during the police interrogation, Detective Ellis (Josie Walker) calls in an Irish-language teacher, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, to translate. JJ teaches music at an Irish language school and lives with his girlfriend, Caitlin (Fionnuala Flaherty), a passionate Irish language activist who hopes to establish its usage in official settings. This interrogation is a pivotal moment that finds the charismatic Liam winning over JJ, who winds up assisting the young ruffian more than the peelers (a local slang named after Sir Robert Peel, who played a key role in establishing the Irish Constabulary in 1814). Ellis has ulterior motives for keeping an eye on Naoise since she knows his father was connected to some of the car bombings prevalent during The Troubles.
When JJ discovers that Liam and Naoise have been writing down Irish-language lyrics, he excitedly approaches them with the idea of putting their words to hip-hop music. At first, the two friends scoff at the idea, but JJ is persuasive and has them listen to what the music would sound like in his garage studio, convincing them that this could be a great way to bring the Irish language to new generations. At first, they could care less, but then they become obsessed once they get into it. Soon enough, JJ puts their song “C.E.A.R.T.A.” (Rights) to beats and background music, joins the boys as “DJ Próvaí,” and starts booking gigs in local dive bars.
Liam and Naoise name their band Kneecap after the standard form of punishment handed out by violent neighborhood watch types to those caught dealing drugs, as well as a common torture technique during The Troubles. At first, JJ stays out of sight when they play live for professional reasons – or rather, for fear of a student, parent, or colleague recognizing him as a local teacher. The controversial subject matter and language probably wouldn’t go over well with the general public, so he conceals his involvement from Caitlin. But, he feels more excited about the music than he has anything else recently and dons a balaclava knitted Irish Republic colors to hide his identity, allowing him an easy way to lose himself in a livelier stage personality.
Amid the growing popularity of their music, the band must contend with how their lives change and deal with those who oppose them. The purely sexual relationship Liam has with Georgia (Jessica Reynolds) gets complicated, and JJ’s relationship is challenged as well due to their involvement in Kneecap. None of them expected their music to become as big as it does, nor did they initially know what to do about getting on the wrong side of the Radical Republicans Against Drugs, a group of adult men donning ski masks and acting more like a gang than anything noble.
Much of “Kneecap” involves Peppiatt maintaining propulsive momentum while leaning into the Belfast setting the film was shot in. Working with cinematographer Ryan Kernaghan and editors Julian Ulrichs and Chris Gill, Peppiatt balances propulsive movement with observational shots of local graffiti, while scenes are often quickly cut to capture the rapid-fire tone of the story. The director also cleverly inserts scribbles and sketches on the screen, along with animated bits (including a hilarious claymation stop-motion bit that fits perfectly with the tone), that keeps viewers on their toes throughout.
At no point does having a couple more recognizable actors like Fassbender and Kirby involved take away from the three main characters. Much of that has to do with how engaging and charming they are, but a noticeable authenticity comes through because the “Kneecappers” are playing themselves. It’s not necessarily a stretch for rappers to act since they are often doing just that when performing, and that’s why Mo Charra, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí effortlessly carry “Kneecap”. The overall result is an undeniably entertaining and surprisingly poignant story that’s also quite funny.
RATING: ***
