Polite Society A Sundance Favorite
Jan 28, 2023
POLITE SOCIETY opens April 28th
Do you remember the first time that you sat in a theater and witnessed the stylish fight choreography of Quentin Tarantino. Or the first time that the hyper-aware editing of Edgar Wright made you shift forward in your chair, and pay closer attention to the movement of the action? How about when you first began to appreciate the intricate production design and world-building that’s found in each new Wes Anderson film? Because the influences of those masters can be felt in the Sundance action comedy POLITE SOCIETY, a spectacular feature-film debut from director Nida Manzoor that won the hearts of audience members at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, and will be coming to AMC Theatres soon.
A coming-of-age story between two sisters, POLITE SOCIETY finds us in modern-day London, where aspiring artist Lena Khan (Ritu Arya) plans to dump her career and marry the handsome man being presented to her through traditional wedding rituals. Lena’s younger sister, Ria (Priya Kansara), however has no intention of giving up on her sister or her sister’s dreams, and will go to great lengths to protect them both. Focus Features swooped in and snatched the theatrical rights to POLITE SOCIETY. Here’s why you need to plan to see it at an AMC Theatres location when it opens on April 28.
The names that were mentioned at the top of this article are nothing to sneeze at, and when you see how POLITE SOCIETY is assembled and presented, the comparisons to Tarantino, Wright, and Anderson will make sense. It’s hard not to use freeze-frames, bold subtitles, and catchy rock or dance tunes in your edits and not call to mind the exaggerated presence of a SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, or the two KILL BILL movies that Tarantino made with Uma Thurman. That’s not to say that those tricks belong solely to those directors. But they, like POLITE SOCIETY’s Nida Manzoor, take the cues from their heroes and put them to use in an original story.
Because while POLITE SOCIETY might remind you, briefly, of other movies you have seen, Manzoor very quickly moves into her own lane with the story she wants to tell. Rooting POLITE SOCIETY in the bond shared between sisters, the strong Indian culture found in London, and the rebellion of school girls forced to compete for independence, Manzoor comes out with something never before seen, and ready to knock audiences into their seats.
Certain movies just play better with a crowd. Comedies and horror films tend to elevate when you are in tune with your fellow moviegoers, laughing at set pieces or anticipating the next scare. This is the case with POLITE SOCIETY, which immediately grabs you with young Ria’s dream of becoming a professional stuntwoman one day – and the exercises she goes through to perfect her craft – and keeps you engaged in one sister’s fight to save the other from what might be a very dangerous relationship.
Nida Manzoor isn’t taking things too seriously here. There’s a silly streak running through POLITE SOCIETY, and while no one’s ever really in peril, there are high stakes to the intimate story being told. But because of the big humor, inventive fight sequences, bitter rivalries, and the introduction of a surprise villain, POLITE SOCIETY keeps you cheering while you are guessing what possibly might happen next, and we just know that it’s going to play so well with a rousing theater of fellow moviegoers, all hoping to see these hysterical sisters prevail.
POLITE SOCIETY is so polished, so accomplished, and so entertaining that it’s hard to believe this is Nida Manzoor’s theatrical debut. To be fair, however, she has been honing her craft on television shows such as “Doctor Who” and “We Are Lady Parts,” so this opportunity only allowed her to paint on a larger canvas.
But what a movie like POLITE SOCIETY does is it automatically places a filmmaker on your radar, and helps you realize that whatever they do next, you will be looking forward to. If this is the kind of film that Manzoor was able to make on her first attempt – comparing this to Edgar Wright’s SHAUN OF THE DEAD or Quentin Tarantino’s RESERVOIR DOGS – just imagine what she can do next, with the confidence of a hit film under her belt, and the support that comes with a winning debut at Sundance.
We specifically pay attention to the films that are succeeding at a film festival like Sundance because we want reasons to gather together at an AMC Theatre and experience a revitalizing film like POLITE SOCIETY. We encourage fresh filmmakers such as Nida Manzoor and champion energetic performers who can capture an audience’s attention, and expand their imaginations. It can be difficult to have to wait for a movie like POLITE SOCIETY to make it to an AMC Theatres location near you. But know that there are plenty of other entertaining options waiting for you on the big screen, so surf our Website, and grab tickets today for something that you have been anticipating.
POLITE SOCIETY opens April 28th