Polite Society – A Strong Heartfelt Genre Mashup

Polite Society premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival to glowing reviews and is now in theatres. The film primarily focuses on the relationship between the two Khan sisters: the teenage aspiring stunt performer Ria/The Fury (Kansara) and the more reserved art school dropout Lena (Arya). Once Lena is swept off her feet and shortly after getting engaged to the mysterious Salim (Khanna), Ria believes she must save her older sister from her impending marriage and enlists the help of her friends to pull off one of the most ambitious and dangerous wedding heists ever. When it comes to this film, it is best to go into blind as its trailer gives away far too much of the films plot as audiences are better off knowing as little about it as possible beforehand. This isn’t necessarily because it is filled with ground-breaking twists, or a ton of surprise reveals as not knowing what the film is about or any of the directions it goes in will make for an even more fun and entertaining experience.

Ever since it’s Sundance premiere, Polite Society has been favorably drawing comparisons to the work and style of Edgar Wright which are very much warranted. There are a lot of similarities to his films from the quick cut editing to the fast camera movements, clever sense of humor and smooth mix of several different genres but the film never once feels like a direct copy and still very much feels like its own thing. Nida Manzoor does a great job behind the camera and injects this with so much energy and a nice style throughout that helps it standout. While it might be chaotic, whacky, and totally unique, it never once feels as overbearing as it easily could have. Mixing action, comedy, and romance near seamlessly, at its core, the film is a family drama about the complicated relationship between two sisters that will certainly resonate with a lot of viewers. Focusing on the relationship between Ria and Lena, it keeps the film grounded throughout despite its over-the-top action, fight sequences, and the surprise directions the plot takes.

Kansara is a complete star and is so funny, charming, flawed, and likeable as Ria. She’s such an easy and relatable protagonist to get behind and makes and her overly protective and heartfelt relationship with her sister whos’ brilliantly portrayed by Arya. The chemistry and complex sisterly bond between each are the main driving force of the film while giving it a strong emotional core and a surprising amount of heart. The rest of the cast all turn in wonderful performances with Nimra Bucha as the primary antagonist. As Raheela, a character with some surprisingly sinister motivations, she keeps her quite engaging and fun to watch despite them. Meanwhile, this is also a very funny film that has a good sense of fun that can be felt throughout. In terms of the action/fight sequences, while they aren’t anything game-changing, they are well choreographed and exciting to watch when they happen.

As fun, entertaining, and consistently enjoyable as Polite Society may be, there are a few tiny things that hold it back from ever fully reaching greatness. The second act does slow down in comparison to the first and third acts and some ideas aren’t as fully explored or developed as they could be. Without going into spoiler territory, the film could have arguably used an additional 5-10 minutes to further explain some reveals though it is already such a fast-paced experience that it’s hard to truly fault it.

Make no mistake Polite Society is a ridiculously fun time at the movies that is absolutely worth seeking out. It might not be among the best films of the year but it is still highly stylish, heartfelt, and above all else fun and definitely worth a watch.

still courtesy of Focus Features

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/