“Kneecap” is written and directed by Rich Peppiatt, who you’ve probably never heard of unless you follow British tabloids. The filmmaker became a bit of an unlikely cult hero when he began his journalism career in the tabloids only to resign for ethical reasons, and his resignation letter was leaked and turned into a story by The Guardian.
Peppiatt parlayed his story into a touring stand-up comedy routine, and then an award-winning documentary film entitled “One Rogue Reporter,” featuring Hugh Grant and Steve Coogan. “Kneecap” is his first feature film, about a band with the same name, and derives from a similar passion project.
Peppiatt was walking by a pub when he realized the raucous inside was a hip-hop group singing rap in their native Irish language. Intrigued, the director shot the group’s next music video and then made a film, a semi-fictional comedy about the Kneecap’s origin story.
“Kneecap” stars the band’s three colorful band members as themselves. Since they had never acted before, Peppiatt mandated an immersive six-month university level training for the lads, which clearly paid off. The film became the first Irish language film accepted into the Sundance Film Festival, where it was bought by Sony Picture Classics. Concurrent with its US theatrical release last week, “Kneecap” was officially submitted by Ireland for consideration in the international feature film category for the 2025 Academy Awards.
The film begins when two Belfast lads, Liam and Naoise, flee a party but Liam is caught by the cops. As the “Peelers” try to interrogate Liam, Liam claims he can only speak Irish and can’t understand their questions. The investigator is forced to call in a local teacher, JJ, as a translator.
JJ’s loyalty is clearly not with the police and after facilitating Liam’s release, JJ conceals a journal Liam leaves behind. JJ discovers Liam’s journal contains lyrics which he transforms into music tracks using old equipment in his garage, and soon Belfast’s only Irish language rap band is off and running.
JJ hilariously dons a balaclava to protect his identity from his very political girlfriend and to preserve his school job. The band’s ascension on the music scene is threatened by the assumption that their lyrics are part of the republican political movement and Naoise’s father, played by Michael Fassbender, who is a former paramilitary republican in hiding and disapproves of his son’s trivial pursuits. A dissident group of republican thugs who call themselves the “Radical Republicans Against Drugs” also threaten to kneecap Kneecap.
While the dual language satire featuring prolific drug use and kinetic camera work will not be for everyone, “Kneecap” delivers a hilarious romp which sprints not walks a fine line between embracing and parodying Belfast’s youth culture and republican politics.
So, on my Black Diamond ski trail rating system, “Kneecap” earns my highest black diamond ski trail rating. Sundance hasn’t delivered such a witty script from Ireland since Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle busted Sundance theater capacity due to the passholder popularity of “The Guard” in 2011.
“Kneecap” is playing in limited theaters and the film is rated R for lots and lots of bad language, violence, drug use, sex and a dangerous level of irreverence.
