Kneecap review: "This fictional hip-hop biopic is an unruly mosh-pit of humor and energy"

GamesRadar+ VerdictAn unruly mosh-pit of bawdy humour and energy, Kneecap lands its ideas with bracingly entertaining vigour. GamesRadar+ Verdict GamesRadar+ Verdict An unruly mosh-pit of bawdy humour and energy, Kneecap lands its ideas with bracingly entertaining vigour. An unruly mosh-pit of bawdy humour and energy, Kneecap lands its ideas with bracingly entertaining vigour. Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Friends, drug dealers and pro-republicans, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh (stage name: Mo Chara) and Naoise Ó Cairealláin (Móglaí Bap) find their calling when the latter is arrested. Tasked to translate Naoise’s Irish for English-speaking cops, teacher JJ Ó Dochartaigh (DJ Próvaí) sets Naoise’s notebook rhymes to music. Soon gigging in pubs, the Irish-language rappers scrawl ‘Brits Out’ slogans on their arses, mistake ketamine for coke, call for change – and, inevitably, draw the attention of the ‘Peelers’ and worse. Grounding events in near-truth, Peppiatt also flaunts energizing shows of formal playfulness and wit, albeit with debts to Trainspotting. And as things darken, a subplot involving the ‘Radical Republicans Against Drugs’ amusingly echoes Life of Brian, while fast-forwarding VHS-style over violent beatings. Amid these outlandish detours, a call to recognize the Irish language is cannily handled. Even as the climax threatens to turn sober, the blistering soundtrack rectifies that risk: cutting to Kneecap in concert, Peppiatt fuels the film’s message with exuberant, exhilarating life. Kneecap is released in UK cinemas on August 23 and is US theaters now. 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