American Airlines Withdraws Film Featuring Knees from In-Flight Entertainment Following Complaints

American Airlines And Film Removal

American Airlines removed the movie Kneecap from their in-flight entertainment following complaints.

• READ MORE: Knee review: Ballsy, brave and one of the best biographies of music when the libs made

Controversies Surrounding The Film

The title Irish rapist has been at the center of a storm of contradictions this week after British counter-terror police revealed that they were “evaluating” two videos from the group’s concerts.

In one video, personnel appear to show a group screaming “Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah,” while the other allegedly depicts a group urging violence against conservative deputies. Since then, the group has denied any support for Hamas or Hezbollah and denied involvement in violence against deputies. Nevertheless, they concluded today (May 2) that there are now “grounds for further investigation.”

This news prompted various groups, including StopAntisemitism, to call for American Airlines to remove the biographical film from their streaming platform. Describing Kneecap as an “anti-Semitic and terror group,” the organization questioned: “Why do you provide a platform for hate?”

In response, the airline confirmed on Friday (May 2) that the film was indeed deleted from their onboard entertainment.

We heard from our on-board entertaining team and we can confirm that the show was removed from our choice of films.

– Americaanair (@americanair) May 1, 2025

Kneecap tells the story of the rise of rap in Western Belfast, depicted in the film. Primarily filmed in Irish, it is a semi-autobiographical account of a group based on true events. Michael Fassbender stars as Arlo, the father of Soloi Bap in the film.

After its premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, it received six BAFTA nominations, winning an award for Outstanding British Film. It was also selected as Ireland’s entry for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film, although it ultimately did not receive a nomination.

While accepting the BAFTA, Director Rich Peppiatt dedicated the award to “everyone fighting for respect for their homeland.”

Kneecap was named the best film of 2024 by NME, which remarked: “Inspired by the experiences of three post-truths growing up in Belfast, along with their wit and boundless imagination, this dark comedy of origin stories grapples with the intertwined lives of Republicans and Loyalists.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfkvghnkn1w

Kneecap earned a five-star review from NME, with Andrew Trendell stating: “Unbelievably dark and daring, Kneecap stands out not just as one of the best films of 2024, but arguably one of the greatest musical biopics of all time. With so much to ponder, here’s my full analysis: wow, what a movie.”

Earlier this week, the Kneecap label responded to the latest controversy with a letter defending the group’s right to express their opinions, signed by over 100 prominent artists including PULP, Fontaines DC, IDLE, MASSIVE Attack, Paul Weller, Tom Morello, Brian Eno, and CMAT. Read the full letter here.

Since then, Billy Bragg has reacted to the letter, showing his support for Kneecap while noting that he felt it “lacked some nuance in understanding why this uproar began.”

This summer, some politicians have called for the removal of Kneecap from festival lineups, leading to cancellations in Hamburg, Cologne, and Berlin, as well as a show in Plymouth in July. Previously scheduled performances at the Hurricane and South festivals and the Eden concert have also been canceled in recent weeks.