Kneecap
Directed by Rich PeppiattWhen fate brings Belfast teacher JJ into the orbit of self-confessed "low life scum" Naoise and Liam Óg, the needle drops on a hip hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish, they lead a movement to save their mother tongue.
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Kneecap Ratings & Reviews
- VarunDecember 5, 2024An entertaining movie that also seriously embodies the revolutionary spirit of the minority fighting against the establishment to save their culture, language and identity. There’s also arguments within the community on rap culture ruining their image, but in reality the freeing nature of hip-hop serves to escape the mental system of rigid dichotomies imposed by colonisation. There was some nice and quirky visual flair added to a lot of scenes which made the movie more stylish and humorous. The music is also pretty cool, although there were few tracks that were missing subtitles, might’ve just been a problem with my specific stream. The pacing and editing go together really well. This was just a solid movie overall that had a lot of good messages to share while embracing a fun rhythm, made me realise that this is exactly the ethos of hip-hop which the whole film steeps itself in!
- Kevin WardJuly 2, 2025When low level drug dealer Liam gets nabbed by the peelers, he refuses to speak to them pretending to not understand English and professes to only speak the native Irish language. So the cops call a local man, JJ, a school music teacher that speaks the language, to help translate. When the JJ glimpses Liam’s notebook full of Irish prose and lyrics, he’s inspired by the possibilities of setting them to music and convinces Liam and his bud Naiose to record some tracks in his garage. It’s out of this that an Irish hip hop group is born. It’s a fictionalized version of the real-life trio, Kneecap’s, origin story. Think, Trainspotting meets A Hard Day’s Night. What begins as a raucous romp that occasionally confuses ketamine for cocaine turns into a political movement to preserve indigenous languages and culture. I was surprised by how much fun this was. It won the audience award at Sundance and honestly has really impressive performances from the trio. Highly recommend.
- hairydemonMay 24, 2025fkg brilliant (except the slightly promo ending which was crap) but all in all, so glad this lot have finally got our shit together. téigh agus faigh iad, na tíogair!
- Dr. AegerMarch 27, 2025Is piléar é gach focal a labhraítear i nGaeilge b’fhearr le haon duine an ceann.
- cultfilmlikerApril 25, 2025🇮🇪🤝🇵🇸 🫶🫶🫶 Viewing 2: Phenomenal film. Beautiful message. Unassailable politics. Dope music. What more could you ask for? Well shoot guess I gotta change my name back to ‘rapmusicliker’ even tho I JUST changed it Polished grime. Love the music obviously. Love the politics, obviously. THIS is the Fassbender I wanted in Black Bag lmao just gonna assume he supports Palestine bc of this and do no further digging Kneecap was already my favorite Irish rap group before this but now I’m just going to treat this story as 100% non-fiction. The dodo analogy was so good lol Thought the mother looked fine as she was but either way!
- stolteclanFebruary 17, 2025Amazing movie for musicians who've never acted. Everything about this movie slaps!
- PlexCannonJanuary 18, 2025Fantastic
- SpoonsNovember 28, 2024Kneecap offers an engaging, though heavily fictionalized, portrayal of the Irish rap group’s origins. The film follows the trio from their humble beginnings, capturing their rebellious spirit as they channel their frustrations through hard-hitting lyrics. Alongside their rise to fame, the film humorously portrays the band’s creative process, often enhanced by drug-induced sessions that lead to some of the funniest moments in the film. As they navigate the challenges of the music industry, a complex relationship unfolds between one of the rappers and a girl from the opposite political spectrum, a Loyalist, highlighting the tensions between Republican and Loyalist views. While the film’s historical accuracy may raise eyebrows, it captivates with its vibrant characters and humor. Fans of music biopics and character-driven comedies, especially those interested in stories of political and cultural defiance, will find Kneecap a compelling watch. This film will be popular with people who like Trainspotting, Twin Town and The Commitments.
