American Airlines have removed the film Kneecap from their in-flight entertainment after receiving complaints.
The titular Irish rap trio have been at the centre of a storm of controversy this week after UK counter-terror police announced they were “assessing” two videos from the band’s gigs
In one, footage appears to show a band member shouting “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah”, while another purportedly shows the group calling for the death of Conservative MPs. The band have since denied supporting either Hamas or Hezbollah and have denied promoting violence against MPs. Nevertheless, earlier today (May 2), the Met concluded there are now “grounds for further investigation”.
The news has prompted some, including the campaign group StopAntisemitism, to call on American Airlines to take the group’s 2024 biopic off their film streaming platform. Describing Kneecap as an “antisemitic and pro-terror group”, the organisation asked, “Why are you giving a platform to hate?”
In response, the airline confirmed on Friday (May 2) they had in fact removed the film from their onboard entertainment.
We’ve heard from our Onboard Entertainment team, and can confirm the show has been removed from our movie selections.
— americanair (@AmericanAir) May 1, 2025
Kneecap tells the story of the rise of the West Belfast rap trio, who play themselves in the film. Shot largely in the Irish language, it is a semi-fictionalised account of the band’s formation that draws on real-life events. Michael Fassbender plays Arlo, the father of Móglaí Bap, in the film.
After premiering at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, it went on to received six nominations at the BAFTAs, picking up the prize for Outstanding British Film. It was also selected as the Irish entry for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film, but it was not nominated in the end.
Accepting the BAFTA, director Rich Peppiatt dedicated the award to “everyone out there” who is fighting to “have their homeland respected”.
Kneecap was named the best film of 2024 by NME, who noted: “Inspired by the three’s experiences growing up in post-Troubles Belfast – as well as their wit and endless imagination – this dark comedy cum docudrama cum fictionalised origin story follows low level drug dealers Móglaí and Mo as they bumble through life getting beaten up by Republicans and Loyalists alike. Eventually, via a drug-induced creative bender, they discover a love for making music and form Kneecap with a local schoolteacher. Cue the funniest and most exciting band biopic since, well, ever. Even Noel Gallagher’s a fan – and he hates everything.”
Kneecap scored a five-star review from NME, with Andrew Trendell writing: “Unapologetically ballsy and brave, Kneecap has no business being as good as it is – not only one of the standout films of 2024, but arguably one of the best music biopics of all time. So, with much thought and time to percolate, here’s your full analysis: Holy shit, fuck me, what a film.”
Earlier this week, Kneecap’s label Heavenly Recordings responded to the latest controversy by issuing a letter defending the band under the banner, “We stand for freedom of expression”. It has been signed by over 100 leading artists, including Pulp, Fontaines D.C., IDLES, Massive Attack, Paul Weller, Tom Morello, Brian Eno and CMAT. Read the full letter here.
Billy Bragg has since responded to the letter, showing his support for Kneecap, but noting that he felt it “lacked any sense of nuance or understanding of why this whole furore kicked off”.
Politicians have been calling for Kneecap to be removed from festival line-ups this summer, and shows in Hamburg, Cologne and Berlin for this summer have been cancelled, as well as a date in Plymouth in July. Previously announced shows at Hurricane and Southside Festivals and an Eden Project gig have also been cancelled in the last fortnight.
