Luke McWilliams gives his review of the 2023 British action comedy, Polite Society, starring Priya Kansara and Ritu Arya.

In London, British-Pakistani teenager Ria Khan (Priya Kansara) trains with her older sister Lena (Ritu Arya) to be a stuntwoman. Lena has returned home after leaving her art college and, by way of her strict, traditional parents, is soon being wooed by the bachelor Salim (Akshay Khanna) who is hunting for a wife. As Lena strays closer to giving up her dreams of being an artist, the fiercely independent Ria looks to save her sister from the patriarchy.

Those expecting a soft blending of a traditional romantic story and a Bollywood production such as Bride and Prejudice, or a sports-comedy-drama about the challenges of a youth from a traditional immigrant family trying to assimilate into British contemporary society à la Bend it Like Beckham are sure to be disappointed. Polite Society is its own wacky blend of genres, including high school drama, kung-fu shenanigans and possible sci-fi threats.  Whereas Ria’s initial focus on the evils of the patriarchy threatening her and her sister’s independent spirits is vague, her increasing anger and determination become focused once a mysterious conspiracy comes further to light to raise the stakes.

While the kung-fu fighting contrasted against a traditional Pakistani background is the key signature hook here, such sequences are played literally instead of utilising magical realism or surrealism, jarring the reality of the movie’s environments and confusing its overall tone.

Verdict: While an intriguing concept due to the action, violence, and potential social commentary, the writer/director’s feature directorial debut comes across as quite silly and immature instead. 2 stars.

• Luke McWilliams, themovieclub.net.

Viewed at Dendy Cinemas.