FilmSnobReviews

Title: Polite Society
MPA Rating: PG-13
Director: Nida Manzoor
Starring: Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha
Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins

What It Is: Ria (Kansara) is an adventurous and imaginative young woman. One who dreams of being the greatest stuntwoman in the world. At least that’s her intent. She also wants her older sister Lena (Arya) to achieve her goal of becoming an artist (despite dropping out of art school). However, her Pakistani parents, particularly her mother are deadset on finding Lena a match. When her friend Raheela (Bucha) throws a party she invites the Khan family with the intention of introducing Lena to her son…who’s a successful doctor. When the two hit it off it seems to stifle those big dreams Ria has whether she likes it or not.

What We Think: What a fun, action romp. Priya Kansara is so good here. She’s fierce, and a force to be reckoned with here. You can tell Nida Manzoor is having an absolute ball with this one. She’s light handed and does such a wonderful of maintaining focus with all the utter mania going across the screen. It’s the mania that makes this film an absolute blast. What a fun romp with a great cast and a group that’s undershown on screen.

Our Grade: A-, You guys definitely have to see this. It’s on Peacock now so it’s an easy film to get to. It has the vibes of a modern action film you’d see minus the muscle man protagonist. Watching this tiny little 16 year old girl do a spinning kick and all the other athletic things Ria does in this is a treat. Nida Manzoor really understands HOW to shoot action and that is something that guys who’ve been shooting action for years still don’t understand how to do this. Whoever greenlit this deserves a race. Good stuff.