A riotous triumph that bridges political substance and crowd-pleasing entertainment. The three members of the eponymous Irish rap group play themselves in this reimagining of their origin story set in Belfast. Cornerstone to the trio’s artistic ethos is the use of the Irish language, to which writer-director Rich Peppiatt remains faithful. Childhood best friends Liam (alias Mo Chara) and Naoise (stage name Móglaí Bap) make a living selling an assortment of narcotics. Charismatic in a rough-around-the-edges manner, the duo does more than get obscenely high; they rap. Their polemical verses brim with the juvenile hedonism while also spouting rebelliousness against authority. Liam meets a mild-tempered Irish language teacher named JJ who takes it upon himself to put music to their tracks, becoming Kneecap’s third member. With limited screen time but great narrative significance, Michael Fassbender plays Naoise’s father Arlo. –Variety