Director: Rich Peppiatt

Stars: Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, DJ Próvai, Michael Fassbender, Simone Kirby

This biopic of the Irish Republican rap combo, starring the band as themselves, is a rambunctious, provocative delight. Working class lad and drug dealer Naoise Ó Cairealláin, along with his friend Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, are taught Irish Gaelic by Naoise’s father, Arlo (Fassbender), an IRA member who learned it in prison. On his release, Arlo fakes his own death for his own safety. The family are aware he is still alive but unable to see him, something which takes its toll on the mental health of his wife Dolores (Kirby). Quitting as drug dealers, Naoise and Liam, taking the names Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara respectively, form the titular Irish language rap group. Soft-spoken teacher and home studio owner JJ Ó Dochartaigh, christened DJ Provaí, is recruited as the musical director and beats provider, following a chance meeting at a police station. Kneecap’s rapid word-of-mouth success attracts the attention of the police as well as an anti-drugs Republican gang. A precis doesn’t really capture the film’s freewheeling, gleefully amoral vibe (watch out for a particularly outrageous cameo) replete with cheeky voiceovers and eclectic visuals, incorporating everything from animated sequences to VHS video rewind effects. The pacing is as propulsive as the band’s banging tunes and the cast, in true rapper style, acquit themselves well on the big screen.

David Willoughby

Follow David on @DWill_Crackfilm