Movies 6 months ago
Kneecap" blends punk, beats, and Gaelic rap with real-life drama. Experience Belfast’s vibrant story in this high-energy film, hitting theaters August 2 & 23.

Can a film leave you feeling drained? With its loud, relentless energy, Kneecap certainly does. This high-octane movie, a whirlwind of beats, white powder, and a punk challenge to Britain’s sectarian past and Belfast, proves the answer is a definite "yes."

Not only is it inspired by real events, but it also stars the actual Irish hip-hop trio behind the story. This origin story of Gaelic rap feels like a mix of "8 Mile" stumbling, half-cut, and high through Falls Road, or if "Trainspotting" spoke Gaelic.

The plot follows three Belfast locals who are discontent and have a lot to say about the British, the slow death of their native tongue, and the highs of Class A drugs. They aim to become the globally renowned rap trio of the late 2010s. The characters are Naoise (also known as 'Móglaí Bap') and Liam ('Mo Chara'), two club-loving, drug-using childhood friends who enjoy provoking the police for fun, and their beat-producing friend JJ ('DJ Próvaí'). JJ is a high school teacher stuck in a rut with the musical talent to channel his pent-up energy and scribbled lyrics into something powerful.

The film features standout tracks like the anti-British anthem "HOOD" and "Parful," a club hit about the unifying power of extreme drug use among Protestants. These musical interludes are unique as the gang juggles their professional progress with massive amounts of ketamine.

Michael Fassbender plays Móglaí's father, an ex-IRA prisoner from the notorious Maze Prison, who faked his death and now lives as a yoga instructor by the sea. Despite his new life, his past hero status continues to trouble Móglaí's mother, Dolores (Simone Kirby), and tenacious detective Josie Walker, who sees a path to track him through his son.

What unfolds is a Belfast version of "Boyz n the Hood", where cops, foolish provos, and censoring radio stations try to shut down the group, while Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara scour the dark web for more drugs. The self-proclaimed “low-life scum” soon go viral and experience a political awakening as their Gaelic hits reach mainstream culture.

In a film as vibrant as Kneecap, it would be easy for political threads connecting past and present to unravel into a wave of self-aware jokes. However, the script, written by director Rich Peppiatt and his three stars, focuses on three key relationships: between Móglaí Bap and his IRA father, Mo Chara and his Protestant girlfriend (Jessica Reynolds), and DJ Próvaí and his partner (Fionnuala Flaherty), a Gaelic language preservation activist.

Through these relationships, amidst the humor, a poignant picture emerges of a young generation trying to shake off their city's violent past, cling to the positive, and reconcile. Kneecap’s solution to all this? Simply getting genuinely drunk.

The film hits U.S. theaters on August 2 and U.K. and Irish cinemas on August 23.