Polite Society

Few relationships are as challenging to depict onscreen as a believable sibling bond. If the chemistry is off between actors, results can be disastrous. Yet when two performers know the right formula to make that relationship feel real and lived-in, it can make the movie. Thankfully, British Indian action-comedy Polite Society falls into the latter category, giving us a charming, funny, and action-packed tale about sibling love and support.

Sisters Ria and Lena Khan (Kansara and Arya, respectively) have a relatable bond: There’s clear affection between them even when they’re trying to push each other's buttons. The girls both have dreams beyond the ones expected for them: Ria wants to be a stunt woman while Lena wants to be an artist. They support each other's goals, even when Lena returns home after dropping out from art school. However, the girls’ bond is tested when Lena meets and eventually gets engaged to handsome doctor Salim Shah (Khanna). Lena seems happy, even if Ria can’t square the sudden shift in her sister’s interests from art to love (gross!). When nefarious secrets are uncovered about Salim and his mother’s (Bucha) true intentions for Lena, Ria decides to pull off a rescue mission at the wedding using her stuntwoman-in-training skills to save her sister.

Polite Society is a great addition to the sibling movie canon based on the performances of Kansara and Arya alone. Both actors bring a believable bond to the surface while also channeling their individual characters’ struggles and desires. Kansara in particular is great as the headstrong, determined, and feverishly devoted Ria, while Arya brings real life and depth to Lena. If great performances weren’t enough, the movie delivers on its action-comedy concept in spades, setting up laughs and playing out well-choreographed fight and action sequences. Some of the biggest comedic points (and cringeworthy moments) come from Ria’s overwrought efforts to tear Salim down in a desperate attempt to keep Lena from leaving her.

It's also a great send-up of martial arts films, giving a school fight amongst frenemies the attention to detail seen in the best of the genre. It’s a real treat when a movie can have fun while taking its craft and storytelling seriously, as every sequence in Polite Society pushes the story forward with whip-fast pacing that stays engaging.

An action-packed and hilarious story of two sisters whose bond is tested, Polite Society is worth seeking out. Come for the action and loving send-up of martial arts films, and stay for the sisterly support that shines through.