--- title: "Polite Society" year: 2023 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/polite-society" fi1m_id: "polite-society" imdb_id: "tt18257464" tmdb_id: 977223 wikidata_id: "Q115478681" fi1m_score: 77 critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 13 published: "2026-09-10" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:08.614892+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Polite Society (2023) Directed by Nida Manzoor · 1h 44m · MPA PG-13 · Comedy, Action, Drama ## Identity Polite Society - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/polite-society - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** polite-society - **IMDb ID:** tt18257464 - **TMDB ID:** 977223 - **Wikidata ID:** Q115478681 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18257464/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/977223, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115478681 **Fi1m score: 77** · Critics 80 from 13 reviews *In a sentence:* The bride’s sister would rather fight everyone at the wedding than sit through it, and for an hour we agreed with her > Nida Manzoor’s debut is a fizzing comedy about a girl who would rather fight than lose her sister, and Priya Kansara is a find. It is best in the kitchen; the last act trades the sisters for a plot we neither believed nor laughed at. ## Synopsis Ria Khan (Priya Kansara) is a London schoolgirl who wants to be a stuntwoman and practises her kicks on anyone who will stand still. Her older sister Lena (Ritu Arya) has left art school and spends her days in bed, which suits Ria, since Lena films the stunts. Then Lena is taken to a party thrown by Raheela (Nimra Bucha), meets her son Salim (Akshay Khanna), and within weeks there is an engagement. Ria decides the match is wrong, though she cannot say why, and with her friends Clara (Seraphina Beh) and Alba (Ella Bruccoleri) sets out to stop the wedding. Their parents, Fatima (Shobu Kapoor) and Raff (Jeff Mirza), would like everyone to behave. ## Review Nida Manzoor made *We Are Lady Parts* for television, and *Polite Society* is her first film. It is about Ria Khan (Priya Kansara), a schoolgirl who wants to be a stuntwoman, and her older sister Lena (Ritu Arya), who has given up art school and gone to bed. When Lena gets engaged, Ria takes it as a declaration of war and treats the wedding the way she treats everything else, as a fight to be won. The first hour of this is as much fun as we have had at a British comedy in a while. The last half hour is not, and we will explain why without saying what happens. Kansara is the reason to see it. She is small, quick and permanently affronted, and she plays Ria as a girl who decided who she was before anyone asked. Her fighting looks like her own fighting; you can see her land. She announces “I am the Fury” before her set pieces, and by the third time we were saying it with her. Arya has the quieter part and does more with it than the script gives her. Lena’s misery is the thing the film is actually about, and Arya lets it sit under every joke. Ashley Connor shoots the fights like westerns, with whip pans and slow zooms into narrowed eyes, and Robbie Morrison cuts them like comics, freezing on a face so a title card can slap down over it. The school fight between Ria and Kovacs (Shona Babayemi) is where the style declares itself: a bout between two teenagers over nothing, filmed with the gravity of a duel. We laughed out loud, and kept laughing, because the film was taking the fight exactly as seriously as Ria was and not a bit more. Shez Manzoor and Tom Howe score it with twanging guitar and Bollywood drums, and the best single sequence is not a fight at all but a dance, Ria performing *Maar Dala* at the engagement party with the fixed smile of someone planning a crime. Nimra Bucha’s Raheela, the mother of the groom, is the villain, and she is a good one. PC Williams dresses her in silks in colours nobody else in the film can afford, and Simon Walker gives the Shahs a house that is all white surfaces and glass, set against the Khans’ terrace of coats on banisters and food on every table. Bucha plays Raheela as a woman who has never once been contradicted and finds the experience interesting. Every scene she shares with Kansara has the charge of two people who understand each other far too well. The trouble starts when the film stops asking whether Ria is right and starts answering. For an hour the joke is that she is a teenager who has read the situation as a film because films are all she knows, and Manzoor’s script keeps you unsure whether the plot is in Lena’s marriage or in Ria’s head. Then it takes the story somewhere we will not describe, except to say it is louder, stranger and much less interesting than what came before. The sisters, who were the point, are kept apart for most of it. The fights get bigger and mean less. The BFI billed this as a Matrix-inspired action comedy, and the last act is where the borrowing shows: bits of Bond, bits of horror, bits of heist, all done capably and none of them hers in the way the kitchen scenes are. We sat there waiting for the film to come back to the two women at the table, and it took its time. At 104 minutes it is not long, and Morrison keeps it moving even when it has nowhere much to go. Shobu Kapoor and Jeff Mirza, as the parents Fatima and Raff, are warmer and funnier than the plot needs them to be. Ella Bruccoleri and Seraphina Beh, as Ria’s friends Alba and Clara, are a proper double act, and we would watch a film about them. Most critics have gone a little further than we have. They are right about Kansara and Bucha and the first hour; we think the swerve costs more than they allow. Set against British debuts of its kind it is confident, noisy and made by someone who knows exactly what she likes. Watch it with a sibling who has ever annoyed you, and forgive it the ending. *Fi1m score 77, published 10 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews for Polite Society are almost uniformly warm and the spread is narrow: nearly every critic is positive, one is mixed, none is negative. The praise gathers around Nida Manzoor’s debut direction, the fight choreography and the chemistry between the two sisters, with Priya Kansara’s physical performance singled out again and again; several also pick out Nimra Bucha’s villain. Most critics describe the film as a genre mash-up, citing Scott Pilgrim, Edgar Wright and Jane Austen, and most enjoy the borrowing. The reservations cluster in the second half. Several find the late swerve into social thriller uneven, and a few say the finale loses momentum. The dissent is mild rather than sharp: Time Out thinks it bites off more than it can chew, The Times finds the hyperactive style a little grating, and Vulture calls it fun but unsatisfying, lacking full commitment to its genre swings. Nobody disputes the energy; the disagreement is over whether there is enough underneath it. ## Straight answers **Is Polite Society worth watching?** *Polite Society* is worth watching for anyone who likes a comedy with kicks in it, and we scored it 77. Priya Kansara's Ria, a London schoolgirl who treats her sister's wedding as a fight to be won, carries the first hour, and Nimra Bucha is a fine villain. The last half hour swaps the sisters for a louder, sillier plot, so forgive it the ending. **How long is Polite Society, and what is it rated?** *Polite Society* runs 1h 44m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and action film. **Where can I watch Polite Society in the US?** *Polite Society* is streaming on Peacock, The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Polite Society, and is it suitable for children?** *Polite Society* carries a 12A certificate and its violence is comic, not cruel: schoolgirl fights shot like westerns, with whip pans and freeze-frames, and nobody in real distress. The review notes bits of horror in the last act, but nothing it found frightening, so children of secondary-school age and their squeamish relatives should manage it comfortably. **How does Polite Society compare to We Are Lady Parts?** *Polite Society* is Nida Manzoor's first film; [*We Are Lady Parts*](https://film.one/tv/we-are-lady-parts) is her television series about an all-female Muslim punk band, with the same quick, rude, warm jokes and more room to let them breathe. The series is the more consistent work, while the film is the noisier one. Start with the film if you want action; start with the series if you want the songs. **What should I watch after Polite Society?** After *Polite Society*, try [*We Are Lady Parts*](https://film.one/tv/we-are-lady-parts) (2021, Fi1m 80): Manzoor’s television series: a Muslim punk band, the same jokes, more room to breathe. Then [*Scott Pilgrim vs. the World*](https://film.one/film/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world) (2010, Fi1m 81): The obvious cousin: a young man’s love life staged as a string of boss fights; and [*Kung Fu Hustle*](https://film.one/film/kung-fu-hustle) (2004, Fi1m 83): Stephen Chow’s slum comedy, where the landlady fights better than the gangsters. ### Reviews we read (23) - **Empire**, Ella Kemp (85/100, inferred): Manzoor's debut is a delightful mash-up of British comedy and genre-bending action that celebrates sisterhood and ambition. It excels through the leads' chemistry and inventive stunt work, though the second-half thriller turn is slightly uneven. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/polite-society/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Monica Castillo (85/100, inferred): Nida Manzoor’s riotously funny and action-packed film is a bold feature debut that defies categorization, at its core about the power of supportive sisters while critiquing cultural, generational, and gendered expectations amid high kicks and punches. It is an action comedy in the style of Edgar Wright mixed with cross-cultural commentary, sibling dynamics, and Jane Austen-style defiance, but most importantly a damn good time at the movies. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/polite-society-movie-review-2023) - **Variety**, Peter Debruge (Critics Pick): Sixteen-year-old Ria doesn't want her older sister to get married, and she'll go to extreme lengths to keep the ceremony from happening in Nida Manzoor’s 'Scott Pilgrim'-esque Sundance sensation. Writer-director Nida Manzoor’s rowdy feature debut channels everything from Sergio Leone to “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” in its wild and frequently outrageous route to sparing Lena the indignity of an (almost) arranged marriage. [Read](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/polite-society-review-1235497575/) - **Little White Lies**, Fatima Sheriff (4/4/4): The critic calls the film a completely delightful debut with in-your-face comedy about crane-kicking traditional mores, highlighting South Asian Scott Pilgrim energy that is heaps of fun. Martial arts combatting marital annihilation makes for a winning combination. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/polite-society) - **Los Angeles Times**, Robert Abele (80/100, inferred): It’s a sisterhood of the traveling fists and feet in Nida Manzoor’s rowdy and uplifting action-comedy, a movie with a lot of fight in it literally and figuratively in advocating for centering more young women in a genre typically dominated by men. British writer-director Manzoor slams together a tangy spice mix of girl power, family drama and freaky evil into one colorfully funny good time, with music cues adding raucous punch to a badass party. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-04-27/review-polite-society-nida-manzoor-priya-kansara-action-comedy) - **Radio Times**, Amber Wilkinson (4/5): The critic finds it an effervescent and unpredictable blend of kick-ass action and comic capers from the We Are Lady Parts creator, with slick martial arts set pieces and jokes that land squarely. The unreliable first-person perspective from the sparky heroine keeps viewers guessing. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-k9yxp2/polite-society/) - **Total Film**, Kate Stables (80/100, inferred): A wildly charming action comedy with high-energy capers and sibling bonds at its heart, boosted by inventive genre-mashing and strong performances. It stumbles only with an over-ambitious late social-thriller swerve. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/polite-society-review/) - **Time Out** (3/5): The critic describes a lively debut that is west London's answer to Everything Everywhere All at Once, with bundles of fun and energetic filmmaking, though it bites off more than it can chew with too many styles. Manzoor is announced as an exciting filmmaker to watch. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/polite-society-2023) - **Screen Daily**: The critic calls it a riotous action-comedy and amusing genre mashup that radiates fizzy delight and celebrates sisterhood and individuality in a breezy good time. It is relentlessly carefree and sometimes feels insubstantial, but has such sunniness that it is hard to begrudge. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/polite-society-sundance-review/5177996.article) - **Sight and Sound**: The critic praises Nida Manzoor's panache in choreographing action sequences and the film's anarchic sense of fun in a genre-jumping debut that challenges expectations about British Asian women. Some elements feel worn or diluted compared to other recent action films. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/polite-society-genre-jumping-debut-with-anarchic-sense-fun) - **Slant Magazine**, Ross McIndoe: The critic calls it an exuberant action-comedy that understands sibling bonds and delivers confident punches and punchlines, anchored by charismatic leads and smart genre blending. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/polite-society-review-nida-manzoor/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: The critic praises Nida Manzoor’s debut feature as a fun, energetic action comedy and pointed satire of the marriage market that delivers laughs through inventive fight scenes. It singles out the lead performance and stunt work by Priya Kansara for particular praise, comparing her to a young Jackie Chan. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/apr/26/polite-society-review-fun-action-comedy-mashes-jane-austen-and-the-chuckle-brothers) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Frank Scheck: The critic finds the film raucous and audacious, praising its energetic debut from Nida Manzoor and the standout physical performance of lead Priya Kansara. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/polite-society-review-1235307131/) - **The New York Times**, Amy Nicholson (Critic’s Pick): This exuberant genre mash-up borrows from everything—westerns, musicals, heist capers, horror, Jane Austen and James Bond—to tell the story of two sisters in an enclave of well-to-do Muslim Londoners. It is a delight that builds writer-director Nida Manzoor into a promising new filmmaker impatient to evolve cultural representation into crowd-pleasing candy. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/27/movies/polite-society-review.html) - **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★★☆☆): The review finds the film entertaining but a little grating due to its hyperactive style and overstimulated energy. It praises the easygoing chemistry between the two lead sisters while noting the film’s self-referential, movie-mashing approach. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/polite-society-review-entertaining-and-a-tiny-bit-grating-fhjs596l2) - **Vulture**: The critic sees the film as a fun but ultimately unsatisfying mix of family dramedy and martial-arts action, praising the lead performance but noting it lacks full commitment to its genre swings. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/polite-society-pulls-its-punches.html) - **Eye for Film**, Andrew Robertson (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's unbridled talent and verve, calling it a treasure with gleeful invention and specific yet widely enjoyable storytelling. They single out the confident direction and performances, especially the chemistry and inventive action sequences. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/polite-society-2023-film-review-by-andrew-robertson) - **/Film**, Ben Pearson (8.5/10): The critic highlights the film's playful energy, humor, and charming tale of sisterly love, noting the heightened action in service of comedy and strong performances. They single out the fun, personality-driven narrative. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1175308/polite-society-review-an-aspiring-stuntwoman-tries-to-sabotage-her-sisters-wedding-in-this-crowd-pleasing-comedy-sundance/) - **Collider**, Chase Hutchinson (B+): The critic praises the film's heartfelt and humorous action-comedy blend, highlighting the strong sisterly bond and energetic fight sequences. They single out Priya Kansara's star-making performance for praise, while noting some loss of momentum in the conclusion. [Read](https://collider.com/polite-society-review/) - **The Skinny**, Jamie Dunn (★★★★): The critic praises the film's energetic blend of action and comedy, centered on sisterly bonds and visual invention, but notes it struggles to maintain energy in the finale. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/polite-society-review) - **Deadline**, Valerie Complex (70/100, inferred): The film is a fun story exploring cultural norms and the balance between tradition and modernism in Pakistani families, critiquing them without condemnation. It features inventive storytelling, a strong cast especially the villain, and is worth seeing for laughs despite some narrative issues. [Read](https://deadline.com/2023/04/polite-society-sundance-film-festival-review-a-cultural-action-adventure-1235225389/) - **Paste**, Jacob Oller (7.3): The review lauds the energetic pastiche and how it captures teenage angst through over-the-top action and comedy. It praises the cast, especially Nimra Bucha's scene-stealing turn, but notes some repetitiveness and limitations in visual ambition. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/sundance-2023/polite-society-review) - **The Wrap**: Manzoor’s boisterous coming-of-age action-adventure is a shrewdly funny and wonderful celebration of sisterhood with an unapologetic feminist spirit. It stands out for its superbly choreographed fight sequences, agile camerawork, and fresh take on Muslim family dynamics without clichés. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/polite-society-review-nida-manzoor/) ## Details - **Director:** Nida Manzoor - **Director:** Nida Manzoor - **Writer:** Nida Manzoor - **Cinematography:** Ashley Connor - **Editor:** Robbie Morrison - **Music:** Shez Manzoor, Tom Howe - **Production design:** Simon Walker - **Costume design:** PC Williams - **Producer:** Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan, Olivier Kaempfer - **Cast:** Priya Kansara as Ria Khan; Ritu Arya as Lena; Shobu Kapoor as Fatima; Ella Bruccoleri as Alba; Seraphina Beh as Clara; Shona Babayemi as Kovacs; Nimra Bucha as Raheela; Jeff Mirza as Raff - **Runtime:** 1h 44m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 28 April 2023 - **Genres:** Comedy, Action, Drama - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmx88shjiVo ## Where to watch in the US - Peacock: streaming, uhd - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-10.* Also available in: AT, AU, BR, CA, CL, CZ, DE, ES, FI, FR, IE, IN, IT, JP, MX, NL, NZ, PL, PT, RO, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *We Are Lady Parts* (2021), Fi1m 80: Manzoor’s television series: a Muslim punk band, the same jokes, more room to breathe. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/we-are-lady-parts.md) - *Scott Pilgrim vs. the World* (2010), Fi1m 81: The obvious cousin: a young man’s love life staged as a string of boss fights. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world.md) - *Kung Fu Hustle* (2004), Fi1m 83: Stephen Chow’s slum comedy, where the landlady fights better than the gangsters. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/kung-fu-hustle.md) - *Bend It Like Beckham* (2002), Fi1m 76: Another west London daughter with a talent her family would rather she dropped. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/bend-it-like-beckham.md) - *Monsoon Wedding* (2001), Fi1m 80: A Delhi wedding where every relative has a secret and the rain holds off just long enough. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/monsoon-wedding.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/polite-society