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In Theaters Now
- 2024
- R
- Front Row Filmed Entertainment
- 1 h 45 m
- 2024
- R
- Front Row Filmed Entertainment
- 1 h 45 m
Summary There are 80,000 native Irish speakers in Ireland. 6,000 live in the North of Ireland. Three of them became a rap group called Kneecap. This anarchic Belfast trio become unlikely figureheads of a civil rights movement to save their mother tongue.
Directed By: Rich Peppiatt
Written By: Rich Peppiatt, Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, DJ Próvai
In Theaters Now
- 2024
- R
- Front Row Filmed Entertainment
- 1 h 45 m
- 2024
- R
- Front Row Filmed Entertainment
- 1 h 45 m
Kneecap
76
7.4
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Summary There are 80,000 native Irish speakers in Ireland. 6,000 live in the North of Ireland. Three of them became a rap group called Kneecap. This anarchic Belfast trio become unlikely figureheads of a civil rights movement to save their mother tongue.
Directed By: Rich Peppiatt
Written By: Rich Peppiatt, Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, DJ Próvai
Where to Watch
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 33 Critic Reviews
76
82% Positive
27 Reviews
27 Reviews
18% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 33 Critic Reviews
76
82% Positive
27 Reviews
27 Reviews
18% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Just like their insane live shows and debut album ‘Fine Art’, it’s one hell of a laugh. However it’s also full of heart; telling a real working class story as a call for unity without punching down or patronising.
By Andrew Trendell
FULL REVIEW
Bursting with unruly energy that practically escapes the confines of the screen, Kneecap is a riotous, drug-laced triumph in the name of freedom that bridges political substance and crowd-pleasing entertainment.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 31 User Ratings
7.4
81% Positive
25 Ratings
25 Ratings
10% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
10% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 31 User Ratings
7.4
81% Positive
25 Ratings
25 Ratings
10% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
10% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
While there is an extra layer that viewers in Belfast may get from this film, the US-based audience I saw it with seemed to enjoy this film as much as I did. This film tackles important and weighty issues such as language and culture lost to colonialism, sectarian division, and violence; but with thoughtfulness, humor, and straight-up raunchy fun. It is the kind of film that has you laughing in the moment then continuing to unpack the layers long after you leave the theater. Kneecap's music was also very accessible and fun, and the band members (bad as they are!) connect wonderfully with their audience on stage and screen. It is hard to believe they hadn't acted before because they held their own alongside the pros. A lot of creative energy clearly went into this project so the awards it's earning are well-deserved. Kudos to all involved!
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Brilliant, I wasn't expecting much from this but it's actually hilarious. This movie doesn't take itself too seriously but has a serious message.Definitely recommended.
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It’s a film that not only signals a major musical arrival, but ends up feeling a lot bigger than the conventional (and often confining) boundaries of the “music biopic”.
Do I wish I saw more of Fassbender on my screen? Of course. Does it almost not even matter because the main three actors/musicians carry the movie so well? Also yes.
By Dina Kaur
FULL REVIEW
If Kneecap has a somewhat pushy sense of broad comedy or, in the final third, some predictable dramatic beats, its visual invention wins the day, because it’s so comfortably allied with the songs of protest and release.
The film really comes to life in the actual hip-hop scenes; the musical sequences have originality, comedy and freedom. The rest of the time, the film looks worryingly like a late 90s-early 00s cool Britannia geezer-gangster romp.
Writer/director Rich Peppiatt’s film has a harder time connecting its stylish music video silliness with drama that meanders and a political message that repeats like it’s stuck on a cheap turntable.
Absolutely **** Brilliant!
Is piléar do Shaoirse na hÉireann gach focal Gaeilge a labhraítear!!!
Their music is way dope.Been banging it out for a few years now.I was surprised, the Kneecap Lads were really good actors. The writing was great as well as the Directing. Overall this sincerely is one of the best biopic films I’ve ever seen. What an offering from these Kats!!I think the history & politics as well as social references may be lost on people who aren’t really aware of who the Irish are beyond the **** lucky charms stereotypes, but a quick research could give you enough to grasp fullness of a people colonised by the damn Brits.I’ll say it again, it’s one of the most creative & original biopics ever made!!!Easily one of the best of ‘**** you love raw music, intelligent & quirky comedy, great original story & brilliant Filmmaking then Go see this Movie!!!
TÁ NA BRITS AMACH!!!
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Kneecap is the name of a real group that starting rapping in 2019 in West Belfast. The trio (played by themselves in the film) insisted on using their native tongue, which eventually helped spur the movement to declare Irish as the official language. The film has a Danny Boyle quality in its cheeky attitude, buzzy energy, onscreen graphics and a pumping soundtrack. The threesome does fine as actors and they're supported by a cast that includes Michael Fassbender. It launches out of the gate with pluck and promise, lags a bit as the drama ensues and the message gets repeated, but ultimately ends up a rousing sort of biopic about this group that helped galvanize the country.
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Ii was very excited foe this as my mom was born and raised in the Republic. She speaks a little Irish, but it wasn't a priority with folks down in Wexford as far as I could see (granted, I have not been back since I was a teenager). I also did my master's thesis on the interplay between Irish and English in turn of the century (19 to 20) Ireland, specifically on how the Irish language almost died out.
Seeing a movie where Irish found a new life in rap/hip hop sounded like something I'd **** was okay. Honestly? I didn't care for the music or the message. I found it excused s lot of bad behavior and mediocre EDM-style rave music swathed in revolutionary glory. Definitely had its moments and the band had its charisma, but I couldn't get into the horrible music. I also found this idea that there was no poetic or literary outlet for Irish to be disingenuous. I did like the idea of the "ceasefire babies" interesting. As with all things, one generation's heroes end up as the youngergeneration's fools and villains. I also find myself revisiting how much I don't care about Belfast. As much as this speaks to the issue of colonization, and the Irish were the prototype for all English colonization, Belfast isn't Ireland in more ways than one, imo. The Republic is and I'd like to see more movies from there.
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Production Company
British Film Institute (BFI),
Coimisiún na Meán,
Curzon Film Distributors,
DMC Film,
Fine Point Films,
Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland,
Great Point Media,
Mother Tongues Films,
Naughty Step,
Northern Ireland Screen,
TG4,
Wildcard Distribution
Release Date Aug 2, 2024
Duration 1 h 45 m
Rating R
Tagline Mind your language.
Website
https://www.kneecap.ie/
Awards
British Independent Film Awards
• 14 Nominations
Galway Film Fleadh
• 3 Wins & 3 Nominations
Sundance Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations