By Miv Evans
This is a unique, wildly entertaining Irish musical that dramatizes the true story about how a hip hop band found success. You don’t have to like hip hop to enjoy it. You just have to love the Irish – and who doesn’t love folk who are never happier than when they’re dancing, drinking, fighting and cursing. And that’s just the women.
The Story
DJ Provai (JJ O’Dochartaigh) is a talented music teacher. His world is forever changed when fate sends him to the rescue of Moglai Bap (Naoise O’Caireallian), who’s one half of a hip hop band called Kneecap. The other half of the duo is Mo Chara (Liam Og O hAnnaid). The two are in need of some production assistance and JJ volunteers his services. He discovers their music is of the soul, their daring is contagious and their patriotism provocative. The teacher is smitten and the trio is launched.
Mo and Moglai are Republicans who reject the Queen’s English. Despite their youth, they have the courage of their convictions and only rap or speak in their mother tongue. Their rebellion attracts the attention of a myriad of fans, makes a lot of politicians nervous and incites a call to arms by the police and paramilitaries. But like all true anarchists, the more attention they get, the more defiant they become, and mayhem ensues. As the chaos grows, their battle cry defends not only the Emerald Isle, but native culture on a global scale. Inevitably, they become the face of a Civil Rights movement to save the Irish language. And their cause could not be more justified. Celtic is enjoying a revival in Wales; the Scots let their language die a century ago.
This biopic covers a lot of ground, some of which may not be entirely clear to a global audience. But what is universal is the humor. It ’s sacrilegious to the point of profanity and self-deprecating to the point of destruction. The subject of sex gets turned on its head when a young Colleen sets the romantic stage for Moglai’s blow job . She glares, grits her teeth and snarls. “If you come, I’ll f****** kill you”. By the look on his face, he’ll be following orders.
No Irish political story is complete without at least one kneecapping and, when Mo antagonizes some paramilitaries, he gets on their list. But when the terrifying moment comes, he’s told to lie on the ground, which is puzzling. Back in the day, the Provos would always insist that victims drop their trousers before the shots get fired. Being crippled is one thing, but ruining a good pair of trousers is quite another.
Watch the trailer: Kneecap
Directed by Rich Peppiatt
RELEASE DATES 2024
US & Canada, August 2
Ireland, August 9
UK, August 23
Spain, September 27
Sweden, October 18
Netherlands, November 21
Distributed by
Sony Pictures Classics
