In the last few years, there has been one band consistently being on the rise and moving towards being the next ‘big thing' in the rap music scene: Kneecap. Their merge between the Irish and English languages, mixed with their relevant issues relating to today's problems around the world, helped them to break out and give the trio a distinct voice. They have become known for their “anti-establishment lyrics, explosive delivery, graphic humour and unrelenting charm” which also rubs off incredibly well in the film about their rise to fame.
Set in West Belfast in 2019, fate brings together disillusioned music teacher JJ with self-confessed “low life scum” Naoise and Liam Og as they form a hip hop/rap trio as a way to honour their mother tongue. However, they quickly become the figureheads of a Civil Rights Movement where they must overcome the police, politicians and parliamentarians.
Right out of the gate, Kneecap makes the viewer fully aware that this isn't your standard music biopic. Within the opening segment, we are thrown into a sequence that involves lots of use of MDMA, amongst other substances; immediately setting the tone for the film. To make any parallels, the film has a very similar frenetic energy to Trainspotting, due to its quick editing and low-life characters, yet there is some heart and sincerity at the centre of it.
Kneecap also sees the band members playing themselves, and they all do a solid job, considering none of them have ever had much acting experience prior to this film. They are able to make the viewer travel on a journey with them and land the emotion in the third act when the film tackles more serious themes. The supporting cast are great as well; most notably Michael Fassbender as a man so blinded to his cause which results in a great arc for his character.
If you have ever had the chance to listen to a song by Kneecap, then you will know how energetic and frantic the beats are. The same goes for the movie as director Rich Peppiatt perfectly channels the chaos the band embodies. It covers so much ground in just 105 minutes, yet nothing ever feels rushed and no scene drags. It's a hard task to keep up such a frantic pace for such a long time, yet Peppiatt does it with ease.
Overall, Kneecap is one of the best music biopics in decades; a film that can involve excessive drug-use and sex, yet find sincerity and a strong message at the centre of it. It never feels like a greatest hits track or glorifies the band (which many biopics opt to do), but instead has that grit and punch needed to tell a story like this. In decades to come, there'll be one rap trio that we will look back on as being one of the greatest to come out of Britain in the 2010s: Kneecap.
Kneecap is out now in UK and Irish cinemas.
